Former coach says rookie Achiuwa has potential to be All-Star
What could Precious Achiuwa evolve into when the rim-protecting, glass-cleaning, doubledouble-producing rookie emerges from the Heat’s world-class development program?
Memphis Tigers assistant coach Cody Toppert
has an idea:
“Jerami Grant meets Bam.”
In other words, a combination of Bam Adebayo’s
ball-handling and versatility and rebounding and ability to defend every position (all very good for a man his size) with a splash of Denver power forward Grant’s evolved offensive game (38.9 percent shooting on threepointers).
Toppert says the floor for Achiuwa (the absolute worst realistic scenario in Toppert’s opinion) would be Achiuwa filling a sixth man role in his NBA career.
The ceiling? “All Star.” And what’s most likely? “Starter on a contender.”
Toppert’s projections are based on working with him every day during a season when he led all college basketball freshmen in double doubles with 18.
“In today’s NBA, he fits,” Toppert told me. “He’s a round peg in a round hole. He has length, agility, sheer size [6-9]. His second jump may be better than his first jump. He has elite athleticism.”
Toppert said Heat assistant coach Chris
Quinn called the Memphis coaching staff to pick their brain about Achiuwa the day after Miami drafted him.
“What Chris liked about the film was we used him a little as a Bam,” Toppert said. “The interesting thing is he and Bam could play together. Precious started at our ‘quote, unquote’ four [power forward] and slid to ‘quote unquote’ five [center]. But positions one through four are interchangeable.”
Toppert’s breakdown of Achiuwa’s game:
Defensively: “He can guard five positions. To get our win against Houston last season, he switched on a point guard, defended him well. His agility comes from his background playing soccer. He does a great job forcing difficult shots.
“He has incredible instincts when he needs to rotate and he protects the rim. He helps them on the defensive glass immediately as well. If you are in a switch situation [players switching the players they’re guarding], his sheer physical strength will allow him to [thrive] down low.”
Offensively: Though his three-point shooting remains in the developmental stages (13 for 40 last season, 32.5 percent), Toppert said he “has the upside to be a 36 to 38 percent spot up threepoint shooter in the NBA. He’s made some fundamental mechanical adjustments to increase his efficiency beyond the arc.”
Those changes involved his hips, as opposed to his release. Toppert said when Achiuwa arrived at Memphis, he took 100 unguarded three-pointers a day and could make 50. Now he’s above 60.
He doesn’t have much of a mid-range game — which isn’t in vogue in the NBA today anyway — but “he finds opportune times to cut and does damage on cuts to the basket, with elite athletic finishes, catching [lobs] and finishing. He’s quite a good left-handed finisher. He has a nice floater. He can finish through contact.
“He’s not a post player, not a back-to-the-basket player. But Bam never posts up. Precious doesn’t have a hook shot or an up-and-under move, but there was none of that with [Memphis teammate and No. 2 overall Golden State pick] James Wiseman or [Phoenix Suns center and former No. 1 overall pick] De’Andre
either.”
Ayton,
Other parts of his game:
●
“He’s got a high motor, great offensive rebounder and a nose for the ball. He can get a rebound like Bam and ignite the break. But he has to do it responsibly
[he had 87 turnovers, 30 assists last season].”
But the intoxicating athleticism is only part of the story. Toppert said Achiuwa’s work ethic is elite.
“I never saw him leave practice right after practice,” Toppert said. “He was here early every day and stayed late every day. He had an agenda of what he wanted to do and made that a reality through sheer hard work. He’s built for the Heat culture.”
And the people skills and leadership were also advanced for a freshman.
“He’s very mature,” Toppert said. “He comes into a room, says hello to everyone and that room becomes more positive when he enters it.”
One snapshot, in particular, still resonates — last Dec. 19, the day Wiseman, the team’s best player, left the Memphis program to focus on preparing for the NBA.
“We had a team meeting that day and were talking about roles and Precious pours his heart out, says ‘next man’ up and his words were a real rallying cry for our guys. We won 10 consecutive games [during that stretch].”
At Memphis, “I pretty
much had a whole NBA coaching staff in coach Penny Hardaway, [exHeat guard] Mike Miller, Cody Toppert and Darby Rich,” said Achuiwa, who has been working out with Heat guard Tyler Herro. “Just being around those guys, I was able to learn a lot from them. We pretty much ran an NBA style offense.
“Them putting me in positions and situations like that, I felt like helped prepare me for this moment instead of just coming in very clueless. Penny texted me two days ago and told me about Miami Heat culture. He pretty much told me, ‘Stay consistent.’”
CHATTER
One Dolphin who has quietly raised his stock a lot: Nik Needham, who has seized the nickel cornerback job.
Quarterbacks have an 82.5 passer rating in Needham’s coverage area, which is 19th best among all NFL corners who have been targeted at least 40 times. He has one interception and hasn’t allowed a touchdown.
“Nik is becoming a true professional,” defensive coordinator Josh Boyer said Tuesday.
The Dolphins like what they’ve seen from running back DeAndre Washington, who, like
Matt Breida, is an unrestricted free agent after the season.
“He has vision, good feet, a skill set that can help us,” running backs coach Eric Studesville said.
Marlins CEO Derek Jeter told WINZ on Tuesday that he anticipates fans will be allowed in Marlins Park in 2021.
“We are preparing for that, but we're going to make sure when they do enter the ballpark they're comfortable with the health and safety protocols” he said.
Fastest Miami Hurricanes football player? UM said Tuesday it’s running back Jaylon Knighton and receivers Dee Wiggins and Mark Pope. …
The university said
Gurvan Hall will handle punt returns moving forward, in part because Pope and Xavier Restrepo have struggled in that role. Knighton will handle kickoff returns.