3 NBA players who suddenly became great 3-point shooters this season

The Miami Heat drafted Achiuwa 20th overall in the 2020 draft, and while he played 61 games (with four starts) as a rookie he didn’t play much (12.1 minutes  per game). In the deal that brought Kyle Lowry to Miami last offseason, Achiuwa was moved to Toronto.

In his one college season at Memphis, Achiuwa went 13-for-40 (32.5 percent) from beyond the arc. Then, he only took one 3-pointer as an NBA rookie (a miss, for whatever that’s worth and if you were wondering).

With a bigger role for the Raptors (9.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 23.6 minutes per game, 27 starts in 65 games entering Monday), Achiuwa has taken a positive step in his career this season. More specifically, he has taken several few steps out from the basket offensively on a regular basis, converting 36.1 percent from 3-point range (44-for-122).

Achiuwa will probably never become a high-volume 3-point shooter to rival some other big men around the league (1.9 attempts per game this season). But becoming a functional threat from beyond the arc is critical for players who have to fill a role and aren’t necessarily stars (though it’s fair to say Achiuwa has not yet reached his full potential).