The Knicks’ defense is missing key pieces, and Precious Achiuwa is one of them.
The good news? His return is imminent.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau provided an encouraging update on Achiuwa’s recovery from a hamstring strain suffered during the Oct. 18 preseason finale against the Washington Wizards.
“It’s day-by-day,” Thibodeau said ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. “He’s taking more contact on, so that’s probably the biggest thing.”
Sunday marked the 20th game Achiuwa has missed due to the injury. While he accompanied the team on their recent five-game road trip, signaling a potential return during the swing, Achiuwa has yet to make his regular-season debut.
His absence — coupled with Mitchell Robinson’s extended recovery timeline — has magnified defensive issues for the Knicks, who retooled their starting five around Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges in the offseason. Despite boasting a high-powered offense, the Knicks entered Sunday ranked in the bottom-10 in defensive rating, allowing over 116 points per 100 possessions and surrendering 118 or more points in four straight games before Friday’s 99-98 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Achiuwa’s versatility could be exactly what the Knicks need to stabilize their defense.
His ability to play both the four and five, while defending all five positions, makes him a linchpin for a team searching for consistency on that end of the floor.
Without Achiuwa and Robinson, Thibodeau has relied heavily on Jericho Sims and rookie Ariel Hukporti to shoulder minutes at the five alongside Towns. Thibodeau frequently points to Sims owning the NBA’s best defensive field goal percentage at the rim. As a result, Sims has primarily filled the backup role, while Hukporti earned a promotion from a two-way contract to a standard NBA deal. Thibodeau has also leaned on OG Anunoby and Josh Hart to slot in at the four for the second unit — a role Achiuwa played often last season.
Achiuwa’s defensive impact is hard to overstate. During the final month and a half of last season, after Achiuwa began to find his rhythm following his arrival in New York, opponents shot nearly 6% worse than their averages when guarded by him.
His combination of size, athleticism, and defensive instincts makes him a valuable asset for a Knicks team that aspires to compete for a title.
“Any time you have players out, it’s an opportunity for other people to get in there and play,” Thibodeau said. “So I think the opportunity Jericho has gotten has been good for him, and then when we get [Precious] back, just add him to the mix.”
The Knicks signed Achiuwa to a one-year, $6 million deal in free agency as a response to Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure for the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency. Achiuwa flashed his potential with a pair of strong preseason performances — 20 points and 16 rebounds in a victory over the Charlotte Hornets, then another 15 points in the finale against the Wizards — before he limped off the floor following his injury.
Achiuwa averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 0.6 steals through 49 games for the Knicks last season.
His impact, however, is hard to quantify by simply looking at the numbers. Thibodeau’s tight rotation has leaned heavily on starters in Achiuwa’s absence, but with his return drawing closer, the Knicks are poised to reintegrate a key defensive piece into their rotation.
