The 2020 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the Precious Achiuwa 2020 NBA Draft Profile.
Background
Position: Power Forward
Size: 6-foot-9, 225 pounds
School: Memphis
Class: Freshman
Achiuwa was one of the many talented recruits to join head coach Penny Hardaway at Memphis. After James Wiseman decided to sit out the season and prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft, it was apparent that Achiuwa was Memphis’ most talented player.
He struggled to get his footing early, but once Wiseman left the team, Achiuwa started to break out. Achiuwa averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for the Tigers. He had 18 double-doubles with points and rebounds over the course of the season. His best game came against Tulane, where he scored 22 points, had 22 rebounds and blocked five shots. The Tigers were 21-10 on the season and could’ve made the NCAA Tournament.
After making a name for himself at Memphis, Achiuwa is now a solid NBA Draft prospect. He is currently projected to be selected in the middle of the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft.
Strengths
His athleticism is his greatest strength, as it allows him to be proficient in many areas on the basketball court. He can run well, which helps him in transition and against bigger opponents. Achiuwa has good jumping ability, which is shown when he blocks shots or goes up high for rebounds and dunks. His body control and athleticism stand out for his size.
He can be a great rebounder at the NBA level. In college, he averaged 10.8 rebounds per game, which is a really good number. Achiuwa has a good nose for the ball and reacts well when it comes off the rim. He can high point the ball well too, which makes it hard for smaller or less athletic players to outrebound him. His rebounding will help keep him on the floor.
Achiuwa has the chance to be a really good rim protector at the next level. He can play either the small-ball center spot or power forward, but he is effective at blocking shots regardless of what position he plays. Achiuwa has great reactive quickness and then uses his athleticism to block a lot of shots. He may only be 6-foot-9, but this skill should translate to the NBA.
Weaknesses
He needs to have better control of the ball better in a few ways. His ball-handling needs to improve to really be a good offensive threat. This will also limit his turnovers. Another way he can limit his turnovers is to become a better passer. When he gets double-teamed, he needs to keep the ball moving to find the open man. Achiuwa had 2.8 turnovers per game, but can cut that down if he dribbles and passes better.
His defensive positioning can be improved and will need to get better in the NBA with the court being more spread out. He is a good defender and does block a lot of shots, but a lot of times it is because he is so athletic rather than being in the right spot. If he can improve his positioning, Achiuwa can be a real defensive stopper on the interior.
Achiuwa hit a decent percentage of his shots, but he can be a more polished offensive player. This will require him to finish better at the basket by going up strong, working on his post moves and working on his three-point shot. Right now he can be used on pick and rolls, because he can finish with a dunk, but he can still get better in this area. His post moves are limited, so he’ll need to add to them. Achiuwa hit 32.5 percent of his three-point shots at Memphis, but with a little tweak to his form and some more reps, he could even improve those numbers. Doing so will make him more versatile and give teams some ease when using him as a small-ball center.
Projected Draft Range: Mid First Round Pick
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