Grading all Toronto Raptors rookies and sophomores so far
By Mike Luciano
Precious Achiuwa
Achiuwa came over from Miami needing a ton of development. While his athletic gifts and physical profile are evidence, his offensive game around the rim needs some polish. Achiuwa has been everything the Raptors expected him to be this season, warts and all.
Achiuwa is averaging 8.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, starting all but four games due to injuries. Achiuwa has picked up a handful of double-doubles in his Toronto career, but he is shooting just under 39% from the field despite most of his shot attempts coming near the rim.
Precious Achiuwa has been inconsistent for the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors’ lack of size and traditional centers on the roster has put Achiuwa in the spotlight on a nightly basis. While his scoring outburst against Memphis and double-double against Washington shows what he is capable of when everything clicks, there have been some horrendous performances on the ledger this season.
Achiuwa has been better when he comes off of the bench, as the role of high-energy rim-runner seems to fit him very well. There’s a lot to like about what he does defensively, but it will be hard for both this fanbase and coaching staff to fully embrace him if he keeps shooting so poorly.
Grade: C+