RJ Barrett Explains Why Jakob Poeltl is the Raptors' Most Underrated Asset

Toronto Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl is getting into a groove after being out for most of the regular season.

While Poeltl is averaging 9.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, his lowest number since the 2020-21 campaign when he was playing with the San Antonio Spurs, those numbers don't tell the full story. Raptors forward RJ Barrett had high praise for Poeltl following the team's latest win against the Dallas Mavericks, where he recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

"Jak was responsible for like ten of my points. He sets the great screens. Bigs gotta worry about them. Even the guards, corner man tagging, he hits the screen and roll and really sets a lot of things up, especially for me when I'm coming off screens like that. Cutting, passing, he's getting rebounds, blocking shots, doing everything. Yeah, so man, it's a great thing to have Jak back," Barrett said.

Poeltl Earns Praise For Performance

Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl warms up before game against the Milwaukee Bucks. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Raptors feel they are at their best when Poeltl is on the court, and they have valued him incredibly high compared to the rest of the league. That's part of the reason why the Raptors chose to extend him after last season.

"Find someone who loves you the way the Raptors love Jakob Poeltl. At best, Poeltl peaked as roughly an average starting center. His defense had already started to decline by the time San Antonio traded him. The Raptors gave up a first-round pick that became a No. 8 overall selection for him, then proceeded to pay probably a bit more than market value to retain him afterward," CBS Sports contributor Sam Quinn wrote.

Even though Poeltl's contract may look questionable to critics, the Raptors still have full confidence in their starting centre despite his drop in production.

The Raptors are doubling down on Poeltl and they have committed to him until the end of the 2029-30 campaign, so he is part of Toronto's plans for the next five seasons. They feel very strongly about him, but that was before this debilitating back injury.

The hope for the Raptors is that Poeltl will fully bounce back from this back injury and the team can incorporate him as a key member of their team moving forward, even if the stats don't suggest that he deserves to be. It remains to be seen what Poeltl will become with the Raptors, but the hope is that he continues to get into a groove going into the final month of the season.

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