Precious Achiuwa's Success With Knicks Can Only Leave Raptors With Regret

The Toronto Raptors could never quite get the most out of Precious Achiuwa who has begun to find his footing as a valuable rotation player for the New York Knicks

Mar 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa (5) / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

When did it all go amiss for the Toronto Raptors?

It probably depends on how far you want to go back, right? Kawhi Leonard’s departure was, of course, the turning point for the Toronto Raptors following the 2019 championship. More recently, the loss of Scottie Barnes this season essentially marked the end of anything resembling competitive basketball for this team.

A 145-101 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, for example, showed just how bleak it’s gotten these days.

But looking at Precious Achiuwa’s emergence as a valuable rotation player in New York can’t help but feel like a turning point for Toronto.

For an organization that has prided itself on its ability to develop players, Toronto was never quite able to crack the Achiuwa code. Save for a 25-game stretch to end his sophomore season, Achiuwa’s tenure with the Raptors always left you wanting more. He showed flashes of brilliance, but it was never consistent enough.

When his time with the organization finally came to an end this past December, Achiuwa was almost an afterthought, something only slightly more significant than a throw-in to finalize the OG Anunoby trade that netted Toronto Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.

“I think he’s realizing what he needs to do and what it takes to stay on the court and that’s doing what he does best,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said of Achiuwa. “When he plays aggressively, when he rebounds the ball, when he keeps the game simple, he’s extremely good player. He found that role really well on the Knicks team and he’s playing well.”

New York has reigned Achiuwa in a little bit. There are fewer opportunities for self-creation offensively. His three-point attempts have been cut in half. He’s not bringing the ball up the court as often as he did in Toronto. Even positionally, Achiuwa is playing more of the power forward spot for New York as opposed to the load he carried as Toronto’s small-ball center.

“I think the versatility [sets him apart],” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Defensively, he's been very good. Rebounding wise, he's been terrific. And I think he's still young enough where he can grow. So, I think he's adding a lot to our team.”

Achiuwa may never develop into a regular starter, but he’s showing again that he can be a valuable rotation player on a very very good team just by doing the a few things really well.

He cleans up the offensive glass for New York, scoring six of his 19 points following offensive rebounds. Defensively, he showed that quickness Toronto used to love, helping into the paint on a Raptors drive before sprinting out to block a Gradey Dick three-point attempt.

“I think for me it’s always been opportunity,” Achiuwa told me pre-game. “Just being in the right system and gaining trust from the coaching staff, my fellow teammates, just making the most out of the opportunity really.”

Achiuwa capped the night off with a pair of transition buckets and threw down a ferocious slam dunk through contact from Mouhamadou Gueye as the Raptors defense put up little to no resistance against New York. The 6-foot-8 forward finished the night with 13 rebounds and two blocks in his 27 minutes off the bench.

Nobody was expecting Toronto to have a perfect developmental track record. That would be an unfair standard and it’s not as if Achiuwa didn’t get opportunities. But looking back on the past few years, it’s clear the lack of development from Achiuwa and almost everyone else on Toronto’s roster — Scottie Barnes aside — has left the organization where it is today.

Dick Sets Season-High

Speaking of development, Gradey Dick bounced back from a rough showing Monday night to set a season-high with 23 points against New York.

He looked as aggressive as ever, nailing 10 of 18 shots in 30 minutes including three three-pointers.

Agbaji Exits Early

Ochai Agbaji fell awkwardly in the first quarter while attempting to corral an alley-oop pass and needed to be helped to the locker room. He couldn’t put pressure on his right leg and was immediately ruled out with a right hip contusion.

"It was really scary because he could not move at all," Rajaković said. "It was just great to see him to be able to walk off the floor and I hope that it's nothing serious."

Initial X-rays came back negative for a fracture, the team said, but Agbaji is undergoing further testing.

Temple Sets Season-High

It’s been two years since Garrett Temple cracked double-digits in scoring, but the 37-year-old came out firing against the Knicks, scoring 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting. It’s the most points he’s scored since December 2021.

"For somebody who's been in the league for such a long time to understand what it takes to compete and win at this level. I think he's a great example," Rajaković said. "For the big part of the year, he was a great example, you know, for talk and conversation and leadership in the locker room. And now he's able to go out there and to show that his words are not just words that he's capable to follow the game plan."

Up Next: Philadelphia 76ers

The Raptors will have a three-day break before Kyle Lowry and Nick Nurse come to town Sunday evening for a 6 p.m. ET tipoff at Scotiabank Arena.