2020 NBA Draft: How Precious Achiuwa fits with the New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: Precious Achiuwa brings defense.

Precious Achiuwa’s Strengths

Precious Achiuwa is a 6-foot-9 combo forward with a 7-foot-2 wingspan who was tailor-made to be a combo forward/center in the modern NBA.

Many of this year’s playoff teams rolled without a traditional center, instead going with athletic rim runners who can guard multiple positions and defend the rim.

Bam Adebayo is a great example for Miami. He is not a traditional center but has the athleticism to defend all over the floor, which is a big weapon. Here is Achiuwa talking about playing center in the NBA:

Achiuwa is exactly the kind of player the Pelicans lacked this season. He is high energy, runs and dives all over the floor, guards everyone and doesn’t take plays off.

He has good hands and quickness to stay in front of smaller players but has the size and length to bang in the post as well. Achiuwa averaged 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his Freshman season, numbers that usually translate to the NBA.

He also averages more than a steal per game, so he is a guy who is disruptive on the defensive end. He is still developing on the offensive end but has shown the ability to take it to the rim and to step out and shoot the 3-point shot, which is something he’ll add to his arsenal down the road.

At the very least, he can run the floor and catch lobs, which is all he’ll be asked to do on the offensive end in his first few seasons.

For now, Achiuwa is ready to step in and play on the defensive end. He is a shot blocker who deflects passes, gets his hands on the ball and closes out possessions with defensive rebounds.

He is an athletic freak, similar to Bam Adebayo, who can eventually be an elite defender in the NBA.