Toronto Raptors: 3 player comparisons for Precious Achiuwa
By Mike Luciano
Mid Range: Gerald Wallace
The man known as “Crash” became the only player in NBA history to make an All-Star team while the Charlotte franchise was known as the Bobcats. While he never became an elite scorer, he was an elite defender in his prime, and he paired that with a decent 3-point shot and ferocious ability to dunk the basketball.
From 2004 to 2012, the 6-7 Wallace averaged 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while playing power forward, small forward, and even some center in a pinch. With 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, including one season in which he topped two per game in both categories, Wallace was a quality defender.
https://twitter.com/The_Step_Back/status/1260947980758077442
Precious Achiuwa could be a slightly taller Gerald Wallace.
Wallace was never an amazing 3-point shooter, as he shot just 32% with two attempts per game during the aforementioned prime stretch, but he was respectable enough to make defenses worry about him. Achiuwa pairing Wallace-like rim-attacking with a jumper and elite defense would make him a handful on both ends.
Achiuwa was recruited to Memphis as a power forward and played that position to start off in order to make room for James Wiseman. Achiuwa and Wallace have plenty of similarities, but it’s on Nurse and the Raptors to make sure that he fulfills his potential.