Timberwolves NBA draft profile: Precious Achiuwa

Winter is approaching and the days are getting shorter. That means the 2020 NBA season is almost here!

Due to the redone 2020 season schedule, the NBA draft will be held Nov. 18 while the 2020-21 season is expected to begin Dec. 22.

The Minnesota Timberwolves own two picks in the first round: the top overall selection as well as No. 17. Who might they be interested in at No. 17?

In this edition, we take a look at Memphis forward Precious Achiuwa.

OVERVIEW

Achiuwa was born in Nigeria and moved to New York City as a child. His high school career spanned over three states, starting in the Bronx at Our Saviour Lutheran School then at Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J., for his junior season. He played his senior year at Monteverde Academy in Monteverde, Fla., and shined in the 2019 McDonald’s All-American game, where he scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Coming out of high school, Achiuwa was recognized as a five-star recruit and ranked the No. 15 overall player in the 2019 class by 247 Sports. Achiuwa chose to play with James Wiseman and coach Penny Hardaway with the Memphis Tigers and recorded 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 49.3% from the floor in his lone season.

COMBINE

Achiuwa spoke to the media at the combine but his testing results are not available.

MEASURABLES (via nba.com)

Height: 6-foot-9

Weight: 234 pounds

Wingspan: 7-1 1/2

The No. 1 overall pick is getting all the attention (as it should), but what about the #Timberwolves choice at No. 17?@GoodmanHoops breaks down @Memphis_MBB forward @PreciousAchiuwa.

Read more: https://t.co/xUXleXOZjd pic.twitter.com/p1x2eDe5IQ

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) November 9, 2020

FILM ROOM

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

“The worry was that Achiuwa wanted to show he was a small forward last season as a freshman at Memphis, but that wasn’t the case — especially after James Wiseman decided to leave after playing just three games. Achiuwa is an athletic power forward who plays hard, rebounds and runs the court well for someone his size. The hope is that he’s a Bam Adebayo-type. Karl-Anthony Towns and Achiuwa could be a tough 1-2 punch up front.” – Jeff Goodman, Stadium.com

“Precious Achiuwa is a big wing/combo forward with elite level athletic ability. He’s got a strong frame with great length and explosive leaping ability. He has great coordination and body control. He can play the 4 position but his best NBA position will be as a big wing and he’s already showing that skill set.” – NBAdraftroom.com

HOW HE FITS

One thing that stands out about Achiuwa is his ability to run the floor, which could be very useful in the Timberwolves’ offense with D’Angelo Russell. Achiuwa can put it on the floor and get to the hoop and appears to be a handful on the defensive end. He shot 32.5% from long range last season with Memphis, so while he shouldn’t be a go-to shooter his athleticism and size should help him be a good player in spite of that at the next level.