Achiuwa sustained a strained left hamstring in Friday's preseason finale against the Wizards and will be reevaluated in 2-4 weeks, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.
Achiuwa's injury is a huge blow to an already thin Knicks frontcourt with Mitchell Robinson (ankle) expected to miss significant time. Achiuwa's absence will likely open up playing time for Jericho Sims off the bench behind Karl-Anthony Towns. Furthermore, the club will likely have to take an extended look at its two-way players in Jacob Toppin (ankle) and Ariel Hukporti.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Heads to locker room Friday
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Achiuwa departed Friday's preseason game against the Wizards in the fourth quarter due to an apparent hamstring injury, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.
The big man tried to dunk on someone but came down holding his hamstring and went straight to the locker room. That doesn't bode well for the Knicks, as they're already thin in terms of frontcourt depth. Jericho Sims is the next man up if Achiuwa is forced to miss time.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Back to bench Friday
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Achiuwa will return to the bench in Friday's preseason finale against the Wizards, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports.
Achiuwa got the start during Wednesday's preseason game against the Hornets, during which he produced a 20-point double-double with 16 rebounds. However, the starters are back with OG Anunoby (rest) and Karl-Anthony Towns (rest) running the frontcourt.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Enters starting five vs. Hornets
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Achiuwa will start in Tuesday's preseason matchup against the Hornets, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.
With the Knicks deciding to rest their typical starters Tuesday, Achiuwa will enter the starting five. The big man is expected to serve as the club's backup center behind Karl-Anthony Towns this season, at least until Mitchell Robinson (ankle) returns.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Returning to Knicks
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The Knicks re-signed Achiuwa on Tuesday to a one-year, $6 million contract.
Achiuwa was traded to the Knicks from the Raptors midway through the 2023-24 season. In his 49 regular-season appearances, including 18 starts, for New York, the 24-year-old big man averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 24.2 minutes. Next season, Achiuwa should continue to receive primary bench minutes in the team's frontcourt rotation.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: To hit free agency
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The Knicks did not extend a $6.3 million qualifying offer to Achiuwa on Saturday, making him an unrestricted free agent, Fred Katz of The Athletic reports.
Katz is reporting that the Knicks haven't ruled out the idea of bringing Achiuwa back, but right now they are prioritizing flexibility for their cap space. After being acquired from the Raptors last season, Achiuwa went on to make 49 appearances for the Knicks with averages of 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 24.2 minutes.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Heads to bench
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Achiuwa isn't in the starting lineup in Tuesday's Game 5 against the Pacers, Tony East of SI.com reports.
Achiuwa will be replaced by Miles McBride in the starting five Tuesday. Achiuwa is averaging 2.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.7 minutes across his last 10 appearances coming off the bench.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Gets starting nod
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Achiuwa is in the starting lineup for Friday's Game 3 against the Pacers, Steve Popper of Newsday reports.
Achiuwa will replace OG Anunoby (hamstring) in the starting five Friday. Achiuwa averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.5 minutes across his previous 18 starting appearances this season.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Quiet night Saturday
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Achiuwa posted two points (1-2 FG), five rebounds, four assists and one block in 20 minutes during Saturday's 98-91 win over the Kings.
Achiuwa played fewer than 25 minutes for the third straight game, continuing his recent slide. With Isaiah Hartenstein rounding into form and OG Anunoby (elbow) back, it appears as though Achiuwa is now playing purely as a backup center. He can be dropped in standard formats if this continues for even one more game.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Back to bench
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Achiuwa will come off the bench for Tuesday's game against the 76ers, Fred Katz of The Athletic reports.
No surprise here, as OG Anunoby is back in the mix for New York. Going forward, Achiuwa could be the first big off the bench for the Knicks with his versatility as a power forward and center.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Career night against Orlando
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Achiuwa accumulated 15 points (6-16 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 14 rebounds, four assists, five blocks and two steals in 39 minutes during Friday's 98-74 win over the Magic.
The double-double was Achiuwa's sixth of the season -- five of them coming since the beginning of February -- while the blocks were a career high. The 24-year-old big has started 17 straight games in place of OG Anunoby (elbow), averaging 12.8 points, 9.5 boards, 1.8 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor, but with Anunoby closing in on his return, Achiuwa's run of productivity could be about to end.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Efficient from field Tuesday
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Achiuwa recorded 15 points (7-8 FG, 1-1 FT), six rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 24 minutes during Tuesday's 116-100 loss to the Hawks.
Achiuwa missed just one shot from the field, and scoring figures aside, he delivered a well-rounded stat line with contributions in the five major categories. Achiuwa has done a solid job since being promoted to a starting role in late January. Even though he's starting due to absences from Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow), Achiuwa is still averaging a respectable 12.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game in that 16-game span.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Pounds glass in win
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Achiuwa finished with four points (2-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt), 11 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals over 34 minutes during Monday's 113-111 victory over the Pistons.
Achiuwa's 34 minutes exceeded the 27 minutes that Isaiah Hartenstein received, and while the latter has missed games recently due to Achilles soreness, Achiuwa appears locked into a sizable role in the Knicks' frontcourt. He ranks in the 86th percentile among all bigs for offensive rebounding rate, and his defensive versatility makes him a strong schematic option for New York, especially with Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow) still out.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Impressive against Philly
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Achiuwa closed Thursday's 110-96 victory over the 76ers with 18 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 3-7 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals in 38 minutes.
With Julius Randle (shoulder) sidelined, Achiuwa has moved into a starting role, and there's no question he's made the most of the opportunity. Over his last 10 appearances (all starts), Achiuwa has racked up four double-doubles while averaging 14.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Achiuwa should continue handling a heavy workload as long as he remains in a starting role.
Achiuwa closed Wednesday's 118-100 loss to the Magic with 23 points (8-16 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 14 rebounds and five assists over 43 minutes.
Achiuwa grabbed his fourth double-double with the Knicks in Wednesday's loss. He got off to a slow start in New York after being traded by Toronto on Dec. 30, but he's seen a large uptick in playing time and usage due to injuries to All-Star Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow). Achiuwa has started in his last nine games and has averaged 13.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over 40.4 minutes per game over that span.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Feasts versus Houston
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Achiuwa recorded eight points (4-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), 17 rebounds and three blocks in 39 minutes during Monday's 105-103 loss to the Rockets.
Achiuwa compiled nine offensive rebounds, helping the Knicks mount extra possessions on a night when Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring) and Josh Hart all played at least 39 minutes. Additionally, his defensive versatility allows him to guard multiple positions, so he's a candidate to remain an active part of the rotation even when the Knicks' eventually return to health. New York was also down Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) on Monday, which helped push Achiuwa to yet another high-minute night. Over his last seven games, he's averaging 41.1 minutes per contest.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Grabs 16 boards vs. Dallas
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Achiuwa closed with 13 points (6-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt), 16 rebounds, three assists and one block across 41 minutes during Thursday's 122-108 loss to the Mavericks.
Achiuwa continues to see an uptick in production due to Julius Randle (shoulder) being out for extended time. With OG Anunoby (elbow) also expected to miss time and Isaiah Hartenstein leaving Thursday's game with a sore left Achilles, Achiuwa is likely to see more time on the court over the coming weeks.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Taking advantage of opportunity
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Achiuwa supplied 17 points (8-13 FG, 1-2 3Pt), five rebounds, three assists, one block and three steals over 40 minutes during Tuesday's 123-113 win over the Grizzlies.
The former Toronto and Miami center scored in double digits for the fourth straight game as he steps into the Knicks' starting five while Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow) are sidelined. During his five starts, Achiuwa is averaging 13.2 points, 7.8 boards, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks, and his defensive production in particular makes him an inviting short-term fantasy asset.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Draws start Monday
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Achiuwa will start Monday's game against the Hornets.
With Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow) out, Achiuwa and Josh Hart will join Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Isaiah Hartenstein in the starting lineup. Achiuwa has yet to draw a start for the Knicks, but he's recorded double-digit boards in three of the last four games, averaging 7.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks in 25.0 minutes during that stretch. Randle is expected to miss multiple weeks, so there'll be plenty of minutes available for Achiuwa moving forward.
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Knicks' Precious Achiuwa: Posts double-double
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Achiuwa racked up 18 points (9-10 FG), 11 rebounds and one block across 25 minutes during Saturday's 126-100 win over the Raptors.
Achiuwa was forced to embrace a larger role after Isaiah Hartenstein left the game with a left ankle injury, and the former responded admirably, posting a double-double while missing just one shot from the field. If Hartenstein is unable to suit up, Achiuwa would likely jump into the starting unit to face Brooklyn on Tuesday.
