24. PRECIOUS ACHIUWA / BIG / MEMPHIS
At 6-foot-9, Precious Achiuwa is one of the most impressive athletes in the draft. He has the strength to battle centers in the post, the lateral quickness to contain wings on the perimeter, and a 7-foot-2 wingspan for good measure. He has a ways to go, but Achiuwa’s defensive ceiling is monstrously high.
The offensive end is more of a question mark. While Achiuwa can feast in transition, he’s a limited scorer who doesn’t yet space the floor. He shot around 60 percent from the charity stripe, he’s an erratic ball-handler, and his post repertoire isn’t polished. He can manufacture points via athleticism at the moment, but he will need to expand his skill set to thrive in the NBA.
While he still has a lot of developmental ground to cover, Achiuwa’s effort level and work ethic are easy to bank on in the end. He needs to smooth out the fundamentals, but he brings an undeniable energy to the floor. He’s bouncy, explosive, and fun to watch.