The New York Knicks knew their defense would suffer when they traded for Karl-Anthony Towns days before training camp. The team needed another center after Mitchell Robinson's injury update and the loss of Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.
Robinson is the Knicks' defensive anchor when he's on the court. He won't return until January at the earliest after he underwent his second ankle surgery of the season in May. Towns has enjoyed playing center again after sliding to the four after Minnesota's trade for Rudy Gobert, a position he could return to when Robinson's healthy.
Before New York traded for KAT, the front office re-signed Precious Achiuwa to a one-year deal. He stepped up amid the team's never-ending injuries last season, going from an afterthought in the trade for OG Anunoby to an essential rotation piece.
Unfortunately, Achiuwa suffered a hamstring injury during the preseason and has yet to make his regular-season debut. There has been a lot of talk about the Knicks' struggling defense. Some blame can be placed on Towns at center, but not enough people are talking about the absences of Achiuwa and Robinson.
Achiuwa should return far sooner than Robinson, but the latest update regarding his status is slightly concerning.
Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) has not been cleared for contact yet, Tom Thibodeau says.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) November 13, 2024
Injured Knicks big Precious Achiuwa hasn't been cleared for contact yet
It's been 25 days since the Knicks announced Achiuwa strained his hamstring and would be re-evaluated in two to four weeks. Hamstring injuries are tricky, so it's not surprising that it sounds as if Achiuwa is still a few weeks away from returning. However, it's not a good sign for the team's struggling defense.
New York's defensive rating through the first 11 games of the season is 114.4, 20th in the league. It's not typical for a Tom Thibodeau team to be a negative on the defensive end.
It will likely take time for Achiuwa to get up to speed when he returns, so fans shouldn't expect him to jump in and look like he did last season. His conditioning won't be up to speed (and the same goes for Robinson when he returns).
However, the Knicks will still get a big boost from Achiuwa's return, not only because of his defense. The starters have played heavy minutes because of the team's injuries, so having another familiar face in the rotation will be beneficial. In the meantime, New York will have to find a way to stay afloat. It wouldn't hurt for rookie Ariel Hukporti to receive consistent minutes.
Hopefully, Achiuwa's return will come sooner rather than later, but only if he's ready.