OKC Thunder draft prospect profile: Precious Achiuwa

Precious Achiuwa strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

Achiuwa sure did take advantage of the exit of Wiseman as the freshman averaged a double-double.  His exceptional wingspan (7’2″) came in handy on defense with helping generate steals and blocks.

His physicality also paid dividends on the glass and in particular on the offensive boards. Moreover, he is adept at scoring at the rim on lobs, dunks, and via pick and roll sets.

Most of the positives in his game can be linked to his raw physical attributes and the energy he brings to the court.  It’s hard to ignore the stats or the fact he fills up so many different boxes — but, the reality is there is so much room for him to grow as he’s relying more on his natural gifts. In the right program and with the proper effort he could become a Swiss Army knife contributor.

Weaknesses:

Have you ever watched a player in a game and then caught their post-game interview and though – wow his personality doesn’t match his game?

That’s what happened in viewing Precious’ zoom media interview. He came across as sleepy, uninterested, and mild-mannered. Nothing like how he plays — but then that made me wonder about his motor. Digging deeper it might offer insight into his tendency to be inconsistent on defense.

Ultimately, his physical assets could be developed to that of an all-around player. His offense needs the most work, however.

Since he’s not likely to develop into a shooter with range, he’ll need to develop his mid-range and paint scoring so if this low energy shown in the interview is indicative of his motor it’s a red flag to heed.