Miami Heat's Precious Achiuwa Seems Like a Perfect Fit
Miami Heat rookie Precious Achiuwa already feels like he is in the perfect situation to flourish as an NBA player.
The Heat chose Achiuwa with the No. 20 pick in Wednesday’s draft. Achiuwa embodies everything about the Heat’s culture, including competitiveness, toughness and grit.
“I’m a really, really competitive kind of player,” Achiuwa said. “I’m aggressive, too. I like to play really aggressive. That’s all I’m about, being out there doing what it takes to win ball games.”
Achiuwa averaged 15.8 points and 10 rebounds in his lone season at Memphis. He was able to learn from Tigers coach and NBA player Anfernee Hardaway, who played one season for the Heat. Miami coveted Achiuwa so he could serve as a complement to center Bam Adebayo.
The Heat, who lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, were unable to match up with the frontcourt of Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard.
“In the playoffs, there was a time when size hurt us,” Heat team president Pat Riley said.
Both players are so similar because they possess versality and are effective in the paint and on the perimeter. Achiuwa improved as a 3-point shooter throughout last season.
“I think I could add a lot to the table, like add a lot of aggressiveness, grittiness to the table and be that support for Bam inside,” Achiuwa said.
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