The New York Knicks just got Miles McBride back on the court after a brief five-game absence due to a knee injury, and they could be getting Precious Achiuwa back very soon to give the bench more support.
Knicks’ Precious Achiuwa could return from injury soon
According to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday that Achiuwa “is pretty much doing everything now” in practice as he works his way back from a hamstring strain he suffered in the preseason. Achiuwa has missed all 17 games this season as he deals with the injury.
New York will badly need Achiuwa’s interior presence, as that has been a very weak area for the team so far this season. Achiuwa also provides depth at the center position behind Karl-Anthony Towns, and his versatility also gives Thibodeau the flexibility to use him in lineups that include Towns.
Achiuwa will also give the second unit a formidable scoring option in the frontcourt. New York ranks dead last in bench points per game at 20.4 and has the second-fewest rebounds off the bench with just 9.4 as they yet to have a fully healthy second unit, oftentimes relying on rookies to play small spurts of minutes to give starters a rest.
Achiuwa’s return will be huge for the Knicks
Achiuwa is sure to help get those numbers up, and with the contributions they have been getting of late from guys like OG Anunoby and Cameron Payne, the Knicks suddenly will look like a very deep team upon his return.
The 6-8 big man came over to the Knicks in the Anunoby trade last season and quickly became an important part of their rotation. He averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks across 49 games with the Knicks, and averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game in 18 starts.
He signed a one-year, $6 million contract in the offseason to return to the Knicks following the successful campaign. It is unclear when he will be able to make his season debut, but that day is right around the corner as the Knicks are starting to play at the level that was expected out of them.
