In the midst of an incredibly slow start to the 2025-2026 season, the Sacramento Kings signed free agent Precious Achiuwa. It's been a few games since he's joined the Kings and is starting to find his rhythm with the team, as evidenced by his best game of the season against the OKC Thunder.
While the Kings have a large number of problems to address in their upcoming rebuild, the biggest of them all has to be the defense. They continue to flounder in the most important aspect of the game. No team can be a legit contender without a lockdown defense protecting the paint.
The reality is that Sacramento's terrible defense is by design, not some sort of weird accident beyond their control. No one forced them to put this roster of guards and shooters who don't play defense together. Their ownership and front office made those choices all on their own.
Thankfully, there have been signs of improvement on the Kings' current road trip. That was particularly true in their last game against the Thunder this season which saw Sacramento put on their best defensive effort to date. And Precious Achiuwa was a big part of that.
Precious Achiuwa shows up for the Kings
At the start of the season, Achiuwa was an unsigned free agent looking for a roster to play with. That worked out because the Kings needed a defense focused player to help bolster their on court presence. Naturally, it took a minute for Achiuwa to find his place on his new team.
That appears to be happening. Achiuwa is now playing as a starting forward, knocking out more than 26 minutes last night. While he was not the only member of the Kings on the court playing tough, scrappy defense, he was almost always in the mix. It's exactly where you expect him to be.
Achiuwa closed the game out with 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and one steal. He's also the kind of player whose efforts aren't accurately represented by the numbers. Stats don't cover the kind of defense he plays, and it's impact on the overall game.
The Kings may have lost to the Thunder again, but that loss did show improvement and that Precious Achiuwa is on the right path with the team. As he continues to find his spot, and the Kings improve on defense around him, Achiuwa will prove himself to be integral to Sacramento's rebuilding efforts.