Precious Achiuwa could be a strong candidate for Most Improved Player next season, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said in a recent appearance on the Rapcity Keleten-Nyugaton podcast (hat tip to Aaron Rose of All Raptors).
“Wait till this year because every time I see him this summer on the court it’s total focus, total intensity,” Nurse said. “I mean, something happened to him where he now understands what playing in the NBA is about and he is on a mission.”
The 22-year-old center got off to a rough start in his first season with Toronto, but he seemed like a different player after the All-Star break. He averaged 12.2 points per game over the last part of the season and shot 39% from three-point range.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- There may be a thaw in the relationship between Nets management and Kyrie Irving, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lewis notes that owner Joe Tsai recently retweeted a post praising Irving after the paper reported that he plans to play the upcoming season in Brooklyn. Tsai retweeted another post related to the “NYC Point Gods” documentary that suggested Irving would have excelled in the old era of New York City playgrounds and added the word “truth.” Irving responded with a video of burning sage, which is used by Native Americans to get rid of negative energy.
- Thumb and finger surgery prevented Sixers center Joel Embiid from playing for the French national team this summer, per Basket News. Former NBA player Boris Diaw, who serves as general manager for the French team, said Embiid is in the process of being registered as a player for the national team. “His request for naturalization has been accepted,” Diaw said. “We know that he’s still waiting for the French passport. When he obtains it, then he can start the process and apply for a FIBA license for the national team.” Embiid is expected to make his debut with France during the 2023 World Cup.
- Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice examines the options for the Sixers‘ fifth starter and compares how the team would look with P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, Matisse Thybulle or De’Anthony Melton in a starting role alongside Embiid, James Harden, Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey.
Still really think the roster will sort its self out after we do a Tobias trade which needs to happen.
I’d give up Tobias, Thybulle, Joe and a first for 2 decent role players but it’s trying to salary matching which is making it hard.
I’d look at returns like
1. Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Lamb via sign and trade if that’s possible?
2. Gordan Hayward and Mason Plumblee
3. Buddy Heild and Daniel Theis
4. Bojan and Beasley
The Kings deal if possible would be great
Barnes is the starting SF and Tucker at PF and Lamb is a solid SG coming off the bench.
However i don’t think you can include an additional player leaving in a sign and trade.
The second deal would be selling really low but it’s about roster fit. Hayward starts at the 3 and Tucker then the 4. Plumblee becomes the back up 5 and that’s about it. The bonus would be at end of the season Plumblees deal expires and saves us money.
3 would be selling really really low. Means House likely starts at the 3 and Tucker the 4 which hurts the offence but the defence would be nice. Off the bench Heild and Theis would make that unit a lot better with Melton and Niang also. I wouldn’t hate it but I wouldn’t love it. Also a money saving move.
4. Lastly the fourth, Bojan is the 3 and Tucker the 4 but they are interchangeable just like Barnes would be above. Beasley would be perfect coming off the bench in that unit. It’s the best move suggested but at the same time I doubt he Jazz have much interest. Maybe they like Thybulle and a first but Tobias deal wouldn’t be of any appeal to them.
Theis and Beasley can’t be traded for like 1.5 more months.
We can wait hahahaha
???? Are you o.k.
Philly is now stuck with both Tobias Harris and James Harden. Unless they decide they would Russell Westbrook. Crazy thing is the James Harden I watched last year was only a slightly better shooter than Westbrook. Ouch!
It’s a shame that Embiid will never get a ring wearing a Philly Jersey.
Such a shame… /s
Can’t say I understand the obsession with trading Tobias for worse players, just to get rid of him. He was great in his role in the playoff last year and yes he’s overpaid, but at least he can fit better with the team when asked to play a role and do more if someone is injured than all of these guys mention.
He can also score in the half court, which is something they need outside of Embiid, or Harden if he gets calls
Yeah, Tobias is a clunky fit no doubt, but to trade him for junk will not help fix the problem. Barring a trade I don’t see (I would like too lol) the upside is next year it’s an expiring deal and no longer the albatross it once was.
I realize there’s a Cameroon-France connection that allows Embiid to pursue French citizenship, but Cameroon could’ve fielded a team with a starting lineup of Embiid, Pascal Siakam and his brother, Luc Mbah A’Moute, and DJ Strawberry (Darryl’s son, but his mother’s from Cameroon). The rub is getting through qualifiers before that could happen at big events.
Just what we need. Mr Glass playing in the summers adding more injuries to his repertoire
Maybe he’ll do the airplane in a FIBA game and suffer another facial contusion as a result!!
Embiid would be fun to watch going against the USA. He would be the one player physically dominating enough to put it to the USA squad, but clearly he would still at least need a group of solid 3-point shooters around him. I’d still happily watch him go toe to toe with Bam or manhandle Plumlee …lol I still cannot believe he made the roster somehow previously…
Now that Toronto added Otto Porter and Hernangomez, I think it will be interesting to see how Achouwa looks, depending on what lineups he is used in. I never questioned his talent. He played well for the Heat in certain matchups, like against Milwaukee, but then they didnt use him in the playoffs. I do think they have a lot of guys at those positions, so I’m curious to see how they use him
I still would trade him with Trent and Siakam for KD and Curry though, but even without that, this is an extremely dangerous team, as I said all year last year. They’re a team not many should want to play against
I agree, although as a Raptors fan no way am I trading Pascal or Scottie for KD.
My final offer would be OG + Gary Trent + Khem Birch + 3 1st round picks. Take it or leave it, Sean. I am more than happy with our current roster and love the trajectory of this team. I wouldn’t pay a penny more than the outlined proposal for KD.
I wouldn’t want to trade Barnes or OG if I was a Raptors fan, but I agree that you should be satisfied with seeing how this roster evolves and how they look as is.
Obviously you wouldnt want to move Siakam, but I’d rather move him than those other 2 guys, and you have to give something up if you were trading for Kevin Durant…but I seem to value OG more than you do
Fair enough. I can totally understand the rationale behind wanting to keep OG over a Pascal Siakam. Cheaper, younger, and could end up the better player. And yes you’re right, you do have to give something to get something, which is why I would be perfectly fine with running this roster back as is.
Ya, it’s also the fact that he is a 3/4, and besides now with Pirter, who is more of a 4/3 right now, he is their only piece on the wing, and also plays without the ball, where as Siakam is better with it at the 4/5. I also just think with so many guys at his positions, Siakam is more expendable in general than those other 2
I’m with you, this is my max KD offer, maybe swap out Berch for Svi, but the last part doesn’t matter.
I think Thybulle should start
Maxey, Harden, Thybulle, Harris, Embiid
Joe, Tucker, Melton/Milton, Reed, Queen/House/Niang
I think they should get rid of Korkmaz, and maybe even try to get something for Milton, now that they have Melton
I agree, but I feel like PJ is locked into a starting spot based on politics..
I don’t think they could get anything in a trade for Shake and/or Furkan. If I was the 6ers, I would consider cutting at least one of them. Having both on the squad seems awfully redundant.
I figure cut Korkmaz, and maybe send Milton somewhere that needs a playmaking guard/wing that can defend for a future 2nd, or just hold him for depth reasons. Not sure what the roster count is, assuming Joe, Reed, and Queen make the team, and cutting Korkmaz
Where would PJ play if he starts, at the 3? I guess…but I might have been more of a fan of that several years ago…also then you have less balance on the floor off the bench if you now put Thybulle there
I agree, I personally think starting Matisse is a much better option than starting PJ at the 3 (assuming the current roster stays as is). However, I honestly think Philadelphia has ensured PJ a starting spot and will try and force a square peg in PJ Tucker into a round hole, the small forward position, when the season starts. Whether or not they stay that route for the entire season is another question.
Considering Doc Rivers is their coach, you’re probably right
A Twitter reconciliation for Tsai and Ky?
Lol!
House starting ????
now that says a lot……The Process has run its course. HardenGM
The mere fact that Achiuwa has gotten positive comments from his NURSE is just PRECIOUS !
I agree. Nick Nurse doesn’t give out praise or compliments easily, or for no reason. If he’s praising something, you need to really pay attention.
Precious is a beast. Another 6’9″ forward burgeoning with athleticism and explosiveness. Shot almost 40% from 3 in the second half last season. Became one of the better defenders on one of the better defensive teams by the end of the season.
Looked good against Philly in round 1 as well. I’m excited to see what kind of season Precious puts together. His improvements over the course of last season were breath taking.
Wonder what will be next ‘worthy” cause for Kyrie to miss work. Hope Tsai doesn’t offend him or something
Good question. Its not a matter of “if” Kyrie will miss more games for questionable reasons, but more so “when” and what those said reasons will be.
Another family member’s birthday party? The next inevitable racial profiling case in the US?? Spilled milk??
Only time will tell…
Do the 76er’s have a back up center?
I think Morey wants Doc to give Charles Bassey a shot at more playing time and see what he can do. A plethora of serviceable backup bigs remain unsigned or have signed over seas, and more will become available as the season progresses. If Charles Bassey shows he isnt ready for that role, the Sixers could sign and bring in a serviceable backup big could be signed and brought in at basically any point
Just my thoughts.