Once thought to be a throw-in when the Knicks traded RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa quickly proved himself otherwise as a dependable backup big down the stretch of 2023-24.
He was best as a smaller-ball five who could dive to the rim and protect the paint while still holding his own switching out on perimeter players, but even saw minutes at the four as a sort of jumbo-sized Josh Hart.
Achiuwa filled in admirably as a starter for 10 games in the regular season and twice in the playoffs for that squad as they got ravaged by injuries. Entering free agency, the Knicks had limited means of retaining him and it was possible a market was forming after a solid season.
But he didn’t get the offer he wanted and New York, down one starting center to free agency and another to injury, convinced him to return on a one-year, $6 million contract in late July. He’d have plenty of opportunities to make his name ahead of another free agency, and seemed to pair well with former head coach Tom Thibodeau and the team’s style.
But things didn’t go as planned. The Knicks traded for center Karl-Anthony Towns at the 11th hour and Achiuwa suffered a hamstring injury just prior to the regular season, causing him to miss the first 21 games.
Once Achiuwa returned, it took him some time to fully get his legs back, but he got his chances. He averaged 24 minutes a night between January and February, starting 10 games throughout the whole season.
His impact was mixed and often position and matchup dependent. Teams were eager to ignore him on the perimeter when he played the four, and he got the Hart special of being guarded by the opposing center with Towns on the floor.
