The New York Knicks were the hottest team in the NBA in the first few weeks of 2024. The trade they completed with the Toronto Raptors centered around OG Anunoby had taken the team to a new stratosphere of production on both ends of the court.
They had the stingiest defense in the league, holding teams to 100.1 points per game in January. On offense, they were led by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. With those two as the main cogs, New York hit their opponents with physicality, wearing them down as the game went on.
Unfortunately, their good fortune ended on January 27 against the Miami Heat. That was the last time Anunoby and Randle were in the lineup, as both are currently dealing with multi-week injuries. The injury problem has hit the Knicks hard, as Isaiah Hartenstein has missed several games in addition to Mitchell Robinson who has been sidelined since early December.
This left Tom Thibodeau with very few options in the frontcourt. Luckily for the Knicks, Anunoby wasn’t the only player the Raptors received. Along with him, New York also acquired Precious Achiuwa, who turned into an unsung hero for the team.
Since the starting forward tandem fell apart, Achiuwa has entered the starting lineup as a power forward. Most nights, he also plays backup center minutes, as Thibodeau relies on him to carry a heavy workload, and Achiuwa has filled in.
As shared by Tommy Beer on X, Achiuwa currently leads the NBA in minutes per game since the injuries occurred. He has played 39-plus minutes in seven straight games and will likely extend that streak to eight on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
With his extended playing time, Achiuwa has produced at a high rate. He is averaging 13.3 points on 53.9% shooting from the field while pulling down 10.4 rebounds with 1.3 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. The only other player to average a double-double with more than one steal and block per game is Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis.
For someone considered a throw-in, Achiuwa has proven to be much more than that. He’s stepped up in a big way with injuries crushing the Knicks’ frontcourt depth, doing everything Tom Thibodeau needs from him.