Jakob Poeltl Can Turn Raptors From Good to Great

Toronto Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl is the epitome of "we" over "me."

Poeltl may have been the team's leading scorer in the loss against the Denver Nuggets with 23 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, but his impact is felt even more in how he gets his teammates set up for success.

“I’ve got to give him credit (for) working on those dunker spots and finishes and floaters,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said via Toronto Star reporter Doug Smith. “But also playing off of his teammates a lot of times puts him in position to be really effective at offensive rebounding. He just needs to continue doing that.”

Poeltl is the Glue For Raptors

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is fouled by Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Raptors had to learn how to play a new style of basketball without Poeltl on the court for a good chunk of the season with a back injury. While the Raptors survived and maintained a record above .500 during that time, it isn't a conducive way to play with the playoffs looming. The best version of the Raptors comes out when Poeltl is at his best contributing to every player's game.

“His screens don’t show up in the stat sheet; he’s a great screen-setter,” Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley said via Smith. “Changing shots doesn’t show up in a stat sheet; he does that. He does a lot of things that contribute to winning.”

Poeltl sets screens in the right spots to get his players in the best possible position to get an open shot or empty lane. He also positions himself correctly to try and grab as many offensive rebounds as possible, which is an underrated part of what makes the Raptors complete.

“To be honest, I think for the most part it’s just working hard, just trying to get position,” Poeltl said via Smith. “Obviously there’s an understanding of where the ball could bounce, understanding where the shooter’s shooting the ball from, stuff like that, but I think it’s mostly effort.”

Poeltl is the team's only true centre, so the Raptors need to keep him as a priority going into the last stretch of the regular season and playoffs. If the Raptors can continue incorporating Poeltl in the right ways, they should be in great shape for the upcoming postseason.

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