Washington Wizards 2020 NBA Draft: Precious Achiuwa profile
By Jamal Bedell
The Washington Wizards need to draft the athletic, shot-blocking Precious Achiuwa out of Memphis with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The countdown continues until the Washington Wizards are officially on the clock in the 2020 NBA Draft. There are officially 26 more days until the festivities begin on November 18. For the second straight year, Washington will be picking ninth They’re crossing their fingers that luck strikes twice. Adding another impact player like 2019 All-Rookie second-teamer Rui Hachimura would do wonders for this team.
Washington has more than a few holes to fill this offseason, but getting a defensive-minded big man is priority number one. Yes, the Wizards do need an upgrade at the wing position like I mentioned in my previous draft profile articles on Devin Vassell and Aaron Nesmith. However, they can sign a quality 3&D player in Free Agency on a reasonable deal to fill that void. In the 2020 NBA Draft, Washington needs to prioritize revamping its 29th ranked defense from last year. The Wizards need to draft the athletic, shot-blocking Precious Achiuwa out of Memphis with the ninth overall pick to sure up their defense.
Who is Precious Achiuwa?
Precious Achiuwa checks in at 6’9″, 225 pounds with a massive 7’2.25″ wingspan and an absurd 9’0″ standing reach. His measurables are almost identical to the Heat’s All-Star forward/center, Bam Adebayo. At the 2017 NBA Draft Combine, Adebayo measured in at 6’9″, 243 pounds with a 7’2.75″ wingspan and 9’0″ standing reach. Just like Adebayo, Achiuwa only played one season at the collegiate level before deciding to declare for the NBA Draft.
In his lone season at Memphis, Achiuwa was named American Atlantic Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. He averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game. Achiuwa started all 31 games he played as a freshman and was the nation’s top freshman rebounder. He also led all freshman in double-doubles with 18 on the season.