Toronto Raptors: Stock up, stock down after first 3 games
By Mike Luciano
Stock Up: Precious Achiuwa
Achiuwa plays basketball like a shopping card screaming down a mountain, and that aggressiveness has led to some wildly inconsistent games. Still, Achiuwa has been trusted with playing in the post and securing the paint, and he’s done quite the robust job down in the trenches.
Achiuwa has averaged 10.3 points per game while leading the team in rebounds with 11.3 per contest. Against bigs like Al Horford and 7-3 Kristaps Porzingis, Achiuwa has held his own in the paint, all while flashing the rim-running ability and verticality that Toronto coveted when they traded for him.
Precious Achiuwa is contributing on both ends for the Toronto Raptors.
On defense, he might not be blocking shots every trip down the floor, but the switchability and versatility Toronto requires as a prerequisite to playing for them is on display. He’s clearly a raw player, but it’s really hard to complain too much about averaging a double-double with solid defense.
What will really take Achiuwa to the next level is figuring out how to become a consistent shooter from deep. If he adds that trick to his toolbox, don’t be surprised one iota if he ends up becoming one of the best starting centers in the East in a short amount of time and fulfills the Draymond Green comparison he earned in the summer.