The Knicks’ bench is very thin this season.
The team is currently ranked last in bench points per game, but luckily, there is help that has arrived and could add some much-needed depth to this group.
Precious Achiuwa returned to the lineup during Thursday night’s 125-101 rout of the Charlotte Hornets. Out since the final game of the preseason with a strained left hamstring, Achiuwa was shaking off the rust with two points and four rebounds in 12 minutes. Despite the modest stats, there were a few encouraging moments from the frontcourt Swiss army knife.
The Knicks badly missed Achiuwa on defense during his absence. The club’s defense has improved lately, but the Knicks are still ranked 19th in defensive efficiency after 21 games. The main value added from Achiuwa’s return is his overall versatility. Standing 6-foot-8, Achiuwa is a small-ball center that can also play the four. Achiuwa’s defensive impact is a nice tool to have and no other big man on the roster can duplicate. He can guard big men but can also switch onto smaller guards.
A key moment in New York’s playoff run last season was when forward OG Anunoby guarded Joel Embiid in the second half of New York’s Game 4 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. Achiuwa was out on the floor at that moment. He provided great help defense on Embiid and excelled at flying out to contain Philadelphia’s other perimeter threats when Embiid made kick out passes.
On Thursday, head coach Tom Thibodeau went to a lineup that featured Miles McBride, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Anunoby and Achiuwa late in the third quarter. That lineup features all plus defenders and on a few possessions, the group switched every ball screen action. The grouping was impressive to say the least with Achiuwa containing guards over and over again.
Thibodeau seems confident in playing star center Karl-Anthony Towns with Achiuwa. Both Achiuwa and Towns spent time on the floor together against Charlotte. In the first 20 games of the season, Towns and reserve center Jericho Sims never played together. Achiuwa can play either the four or five with Towns in a two-big alignment. Towns’ perimeter shooting ability can make up for Achiuwa’s lack of perimeter shooting.
Achiuwa’s never been a great offensive player, but he provides a good combination of skills. Achiuwa is very impactful on the offensive glass, finishing fifth in offensive rebound rate in the NBA last season. Sims has filled in for both Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson at the center position. Sims has been effective as a rim protector and rebounder.
On offense, Sims has limitations. He rarely scores and nearly all of his shot attempts are all from passes. One benefit of having Achiuwa in the lineup is he can make plays as the roll man in the pick and roll. He can catch out of the short roll and make plays for teammates or himself. With Achiuwa back in the lineup, Sims played just three minutes.
Achiuwa is not great at everything — he’s an undersized center and there are certain matchups against opposing bigs where he can be attacked either in the post or on the offensive glass. His three-point jumper is also a work in progress. A career 30.6 percent three-point shooter, Achiuwa shot 26 percent on 50 three-point attempts with the Knicks last season.
But he adds a variety of talents that can help, especially on the defensive end, as New York looks to continue improving.
