A busy and important offseason for Heat’s Achiuwa
Center Precious Achiuwa knows what he wants to accomplish this summer after an up-anddown rookie season, but he just doesn’t know yet where he’ll be working to reach those goals this offseason.
Achiuwa, who was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, is one of three Heat players on Nigeria’s 49-man preliminary roster for the Tokyo Olympics along with Heat forward KZ Okpala and guard Gabe Vincent. With the Olympic
men’s basketball competition beginning July 24 and running through Aug. 7, representing Nigeria in Tokyo could prevent Achiuwa from representing the Heat in summer league this year.
“It’s arguably the biggest stage when it comes to sports, in general,” Achiuwa said of the Olympics last month. “Just playing on that stage representing wherever you’re from, whatever country it is. It’s big. It’s a huge honor just being able to play there. It’s something that I don’t think anyone would really think twice about.”
But Achiuwa also knows the opportunity to compete in NBA summer league action this year would be beneficial to his development. Once Achiuwa was drafted by the Heat with the 20th pick in November, the pandemicshortened offseason did not include a summer league, and NBA training camps opened just about two weeks after the draft.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Achiuwa said of the possibility of taking part in his first NBA summer league. “I didn’t get a summer league last year. Coming into the season, I was playing a lot coming in early. Thanks to the coaching staff and every
Heat center Precious Achiuwa knows what he wants to accomplish this offseason, which could include action in the Tokyo Olympics, summer league or both.
one, my teammates, I was able to play through a lot of mistakes. … I think playing in the summer league is going to help clear things up a little bit for me. Just getting a better feel and understanding of the NBA game, the system, especially on the defensive side.”
Las Vegas Summer League will take place
Aug. 8-17. So it’s possible that Achiuwa could play in the Olympics and still be back in time to play summer league games with the Heat if Nigeria does not advance past group play, which concludes Aug. 1.
Achiuwa, Okpala and Vincent will be at Nigeria’s training camp ahead of the Olympics, but it’s still to be determined if any will be on the national team’s 12-man roster for Tokyo. There are 13 NBA players on Nigeria’s 49man preliminary roster, and Team USA and Nigeria will face off in an exhibition game on July 10 in Las Vegas.
Wherever the offseason takes Achiuwa, he hopes to improve his understanding of NBA defensive schemes.
Achiuwa averaged five points on 54.4 percent shooting, 3.4 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 61 regular-season games (four starts) as a rookie. Achiuwa played a total of only 12 minutes in the playoffs, as he fell out of the Heat’s rotation after the team signed free agent center Dewayne Dedmon in early April.
“The time I was on the court this year, for me it was just understanding the game on the defensive side of the ball,” Achiuwa said. “Just understanding reads, tendencies and plays that teams like to do. For me, it’s just having a better understanding of the game and a better IQ
for the game, better feel for the game, especially on the defensive side. This summer, I just look forward to building that overall part of my game.”
That includes diversifying his offensive game. Achiuwa, who shot 1 of 12 from outside the paint this past season, said improving his jump shot is “going to be a big focus for me this summer.”
“I think it just comes down to overall advancement of my game,” Achiuwa said. “I believe in positionless basketball, as well. I think that’s the direction the game is evolving to lately. For me, basketball is a game of matchups and just being able to take whatever matchup that you want on the other team and exploit it.
“Whether it’s banging inside or extending to the three-point line or taking some one off the dribble or whatever, it’s just all about matchups right now.”
Achiuwa, who is one of just five Heat players who entered the offseason with a guaranteed salary for next season, is also working to prove he deserves to be an essential part of the rotation.
After logging doubledigit minutes in each of the Heat’s first 22 games this past season, his playing time fluctuated the rest of the season.
“Positionless basketball, it’s the biggest asset right now in the NBA,” he said. “It’s what everyone is looking for, positionless players that are able to do different things. Being versatile on offense, switch out ball screens, guard guards, guard bigs, block shots, deflections, steals and all that kind of stuff.”
SPOELSTRA’S ROLE ON TEAM USA
USA Basketball announced Tuesday that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will serve as the head
coach of the 2021 USA Select Team, which is a group of players who will be at the national team’s training camp in in Las Vegas to practice and scrimmage against the Olympic roster.
Spoelstra’s assistants are Gonzaga head coach Mark Few and Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jamahl Mosley. Spoelstra will not travel to Tokyo for the Olympics.
“We’re very fortunate to have highly regarded coaches like Erik, Mark and Jamahl accept the responsibility of coaching the 2021 USA Select Team and helping prepare our national team for the Tokyo Olympics,” USA National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo said in a statement. “Erik has been extremely successful in Miami and won back-to-back NBA championships, and we’re excited to have him involved and become part of USA Basketball’s remarkable coaching legacy. It’s going to be really helpful to have all three coaches involved in this year’s Las Vegas training camp.”
The only confirmed members of this year’s Team USA select team, according to reports, are Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Cleveland’s Darius Garland. The full select team roster is expected to be finalized in the coming days.
Spoelstra said “stay tuned” when asked if a Heat player will be part of the select team roster. Heat guard Tyler Herro is under consideration, according to a source.
Heat center Bam Adebayo is on USA Basketball’s 12-man Olympic roster, which has already been announced.
Team USA is scheduled to begin its men’s training camp in Las Vegas on July 6.