One Thing I Need to See from Raptors Against Magic

The Toronto Raptors excel in many areas but their bigs have to fine-tune their approach against the Orlando Magic.

Oct 28, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (30) passes the ball away from Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Toronto Raptors recorded another statement win against the Orlando Magic. They were able to win most categories in the box score, except for offensive rebounds, second chance points and points off turnovers.

This leads to one of the concerns I saw early on in the game, which boils down to the physicality, or lack thereof from Jakob Poeltl. He finished the night with just two points and two rebounds in only 10 minutes. Mind you, this was a 30-point blowout so he wasn’t about to log 25 minutes like the rest of the starters.

It’s back to back disappointing outings for Jakob Poeltl as we’re seeing his minutes dwindle from game to game. That being said, he wasn’t the only big that struggled.

Raptors Outmatched Early In The Paint

Oct 28, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) defends his basket against Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This game started off strong for the Orlando Magic as they opened the game on the heels of an 8-0 run. A large part of that was the physical play from Wendel Carter Jr. He was getting to his spots and crashing the offensive glass, where Poeltl looked to be a step behind on every possession.

This is what led to his early fouls, resulting in Collin Murray-Boyles shuffling to fill his spot. He too got into foul trouble early on that paved the way for Trayce Jackson-Davis to get some extended minutes. He made the most of his opportunities, finishing the night with 6 points and 11 rebounds with a pair of blocks. He seemed to be the center that knew where to position himself and contribute when called upon.

Both Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles finished the game with five fouls as they both played a combined 24 minutes. Trayce Jackson-Davis got a lot of his minutes when the Raptors were well ahead but still made the most of his opportunities.

There are a lot of important things that Poeltl does that the box score tends to overshadow. Whether or not it’s a lingering back issue, his performance in limited minutes immediately forces Coach Darko’s hand to use Murray-Boyles. That’s where the Magic, who have depth at center with Carter Jr., Bitadze and Vucevic, will continue to be aggressive on the glass and in the paint.

Fortunately, the rest of the team were able to stay tenacious on the defensive end and force 20 total turnovers. If the Raptors’ bigs can stay out of foul trouble early while shoring up Orlando’s physicality, it will lead to a more balanced attack.

The NBA Cup tips off tonight as the Raptors and Magic square up for round two at Scotiabank Arena.

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