Achiuwa recorded 12 points (5-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, one block and one steal across 13 minutes during Wednesday's 119-103 victory over Utah.
Achiuwa scored 12 points in 13 minutes, a productive outing despite continuing to play a limited role off the bench. Karl-Anthony Towns is having his best season in recent memory, leaving very little meat on the bone when it comes to playing time at the center position. At this point, it would require Towns to miss time for Achiuwa to have any chance of playing more than about 20 minutes on any given night.
Achiuwa chipped in five points (2-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt), 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 20 minutes during Wednesday's 117-114 win over San Antonio.
Achiuwa saw a handful of extra minutes in the win, with Karl-Anthony Towns picking up his fifth foul early in the final quarter. The additional playing time allowed Achiuwa to grab double-digit rebounds for just the third time this season. Although he is typically the first, and only, big off the bench, Achiuwa's role is relatively underwhelming given the Knicks run with a very shallow rotation.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Back to bench Saturday
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Achiuwa is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Pelicans.
The Knicks will be at full strength Saturday following the return of Josh Hart, meaning Achiuwa will return to his regular bench role as a depth option in the frontcourt. Achiuwa is averaging 4.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game when playing off the bench this season (five appearances).
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Shines in starting role
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Achiuwa closed with 13 points (6-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt), 10 rebounds, two assists and one steal across 28 minutes during Thursday's 133-107 victory over Minnesota.
Achiuwa got the start in place of Josh Hart (personal) on Thursday and thrived, posting a double-double and making his presence felt on both ends of the court. While he can be a solid streaming option going forward, Achiuwa's upside will be heavily tied to Hart's availability. He won't carry a lot of upside if he's limited to a bench role behind Karl-Anthony Towns.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Drawing first start of 2024-25
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Achiuwa will start Thursday's game against the Timberwolves, Steve Popper of Newsday reports.
Achiuwa will enter the starting five in place of Josh Hart (personal). Achiuwa is averaging 4.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 blocks through his first five appearances of the season, all off the bench.
Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Four defensive stats in loss
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Achiuwa racked up two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals across 19 minutes during Wednesday's 108-100 loss to Atlanta.
Achiuwa tallied four defensive stats, salvaging an otherwise quiet performance. The Knicks continue to run a shallow rotation, typically preventing their bench unit from playing significant minutes. Although Achiuwa appears locked in as the backup center, he would need Karl-Anthony Towns to miss time to have any chance at putting up consistent production on both ends of the floor.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Double-digit boards off bench
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Achiuwa logged six points (2-3 FG, 2-5 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in 28 minutes during Saturday's 120-111 loss to the Pistons.
Although it was Jericho Sims who entered the starting lineup for the injured Karl-Anthony Towns (knee), it was Achiuwa who soaked up the bulk of the minutes at center for the Knicks on Saturday. It was Achiuwa's second regular-season appearance after the 25-year-old big man missed the first 21 games of the year with a hamstring injury, so it was encouraging to see him already handle 28 minutes off the bench this soon after returning to the court. With New York still missing Mitchell Robinson (ankle) as well, Achiuwa is worth a speculative add in deep fantasy leagues while the status of Towns remains up in the air for Monday's game against the Raptors.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Receives 12 minutes in debut
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Achiuwa (hamstring) logged two points (1-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-2 FT), four rebounds and one assist across 12 minutes Thursday in the Knicks' 125-101 win over the Hornets.
Achiuwa made his season debut after missing the Knicks' first 21 games of the season due to a left hamstring strain sustained in the preseason finale. Though Jericho Sims was the Knicks' first big man off the bench Thursday, he played just three minutes to Achiuwa's 12. Expect that disparity to grow wider as Achiuwa becomes further removed from the injury, with Sims potentially falling out of the rotation entirely. The Knicks showed a willingness to use Achiuwa last season as a backup option at both power forward and center, but it will likely take an injury to one of the team's starters before he gets enough minutes to make for an appealing pickup in 12-team leagues or shallower.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Will make season debut Thursday
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Achiuwa (hamstring) is available to play Thursday against the Hornets, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.
Achiuwa will finally make his season debut in this matchup against the Hornets, adding some much-needed depth to the frontcourt. It's unclear if Achiuwa will be on a minutes restriction, but Achiuwa will operate as one of Karl-Anthony Towns' backup options, possibly stealing minutes from Jericho Sims.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: On track to play Thursday
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Achiuwa (hamstring) will warm up with the intention to play in Thursday's game versus the Hornets, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports.
Achiuwa is officially listed as questionable Thursday but appears on track to make his season debut. If Achiuwa is upgraded to available, he will likely operate on a minutes restriction as he works his way back to game shape.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Listed as questionable for Thursday
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Achiuwa (hamstring) is questionable for Thursday's game against Charlotte.
Achiuwa continues gradually ramping up for a Knicks' squad that could benefit from his depth in the frontcourt. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday that Achiuwa could be ready to play "in a week or so," which would make a return to action Thursday improbable, though New York has yet to rule him out.
Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Practices with G League squad
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New York recalled Achiuwa (hamstring) from the G League's Westchester Knicks on Monday.
Westchester didn't have a game Monday, so Achiuwa, Tyler Kolek and Ariel Hukporti joined the G League squad for practice and were recalled afterward. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday that Achiuwa is expected to return to game action "in a week or so," and when available, he'll likely serve as the Knicks' top reserve option in the frontcourt.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Closing in on return
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Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday that Achiuwa (hamstring) is "getting closer" to making his season debut and could be ready to play "in a week or so," Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports.
Achiuwa thus looks likely to miss the remaining three games of the Knicks' homestand this week, but he might be cleared to play during the team's three-game road trip that begins Monday in Toronto. While Achiuwa likely won't have a sizable role waiting for him once he's back to full strength, he could end up unseating Jericho Sims as the top backup to starting center Karl-Anthony Towns.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Won't return Sunday vs. NOLA
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Achiuwa (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Pelicans, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post reports
Achiuwa has increased his practice participation over the last week while recovering from a hamstring strain he sustained in the preseason. His next chance to make his 2024-25 regular-season debut will be against the Magic on Tuesday.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: To start practice soon
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Achiuwa (hamstring) is expected to be cleared to practice at some point during the Knicks five-game road trip that begins Wednesday, Steve Popper of Newsday reports.
Achiuwa hasn't practiced since suffering a hamstring strain during the preseason, but he appears to be close to resuming basketball activities. Still, the 25-year-old shouldn't be expected back until December, at the earliest.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Remains out indefinitely
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Achiuwa (hamstring) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Bulls, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post reports.
Achiuwa has yet to make his season debut and isn't practicing yet, suggesting his return to game action won't come for at least a few weeks. Jericho Sims has been operating as the Knicks' backup center to Karl-Anthony Towns.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Still absent from practice
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Coach Tom Thibodeau said Friday that Achiuwa (hamstring) hasn't started practicing yet but is making progress in his recovery, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports.
Achiuwa has yet to make his season debut due to a left hamstring strain. The 25-year-old big man's next hurdle in his recovery will be getting cleared to practice. Until Achiuwa can suit up, Jericho Sims should continue operating as the Knicks' backup center to Karl-Anthony Towns.
