The Biggest Remaining Question Facing the Raptors

While the Toronto Raptors starting lineup is locked in, a glaring lack of frontcourt depth could derail the team if injuries pop up.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Toronto Raptors have most of their roster set in stone going into the upcoming season, but it is not a complete puzzle quite yet.

The Raptors are missing some size in the second unit, and there is no clear solution as to who will be backing up Jakob Poeltl at centre this upcoming season.

Raptors Need Jakob Poeltl Backup Solution

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is defended by Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Poeltl will be 31 years old during the upcoming season, and he is coming off a year in which he only played 46 games. There's a good chance he could be sidelined for part of the year due to injury again, but the Raptors don't have a clear solution to this problem.

During the year, the Raptors would turn to Collin Murray-Boyles or Sandro Mamukelashvili to back up Poeltl, but the latter signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. They replaced him with veteran forward Kyle Anderson, who doesn't have the size to be a centre against some of the larger bigs in the league.

This past season proved how important size matters and the "small ball" era in the league appears to have come and gone. Teams without legitimate size get punished in the playoffs.

While Murray-Boyles and rookie Allen Graves can fill in as a centre for part of the game, it's not a suitable solution for the long haul, especially if Poeltl suffers a long-term injury. The Raptors saw first-hand how much of a disadvantage they had when Poeltl was unable to keep up against the Cleveland Cavaliers' size in the post during their first-round series.

The Raptors Should Sign a Centre — But Options Are Limited

San Antonio Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk warms up before the game against the Phoenix Suns. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raptors can use one of their final roster spots to bring in a big man that can fill in if Poeltl is hurt. Jonathan Mogbo signed with the Sacramento Kings in free agency, so this role on the team has yet to be fulfilled.

Toronto natives Kelly Olynyk and Dwight Powell could make sense, and their veteran leadership could also come in handy. The Raptors could also go with someone younger looking to prove themselves, like Nick Richards or Xavier Tillman.

Either way, the Raptors need an alternate solution to their centre problem. They cannot go small against every team, so they need to get some size in the building.

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