How Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl is making a big impact
NBA Analytics NetworkBeginning his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors in 2016, 7-foot-1 center Jakob Poeltl was…
Beginning his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors in 2016, 7-foot-1 center Jakob Poeltl was just another body to back up established big men Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas — making him the ability to hide the paint with its size and rebound when needed.
Fast forward four years after his first stint with Toronto, the former 9th overall pick from Utah looks almost unrecognizable in his second go-around after being traded from the San Antonio Spurs just before the NBA trade deadline.
Much of this has to do with his development during his time in San Antonio, with the opportunity to play more minutes in a rebuild led by one of the most legendary coaches of all time, Gregg Popovich.
Popovich understood the “unicorn potential” Poertl had with today’s game-changing mobile big-man league.
“He’s a worker, a runner, a rebounder. He’s a good infielder, does a little bit of everything and does it aggressively. He’s just going to get better and better.” Popovich said about Poeltl in 2018 when he first joined the team.
Popovich’s vision of Poerltl was a sight to behold, as he has coached legendary players from the likes of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili to master the art of all the fundamentals and “the little” things on the pitch. to do.
This mindset and style of play has stuck with Poerltl and has shown itself in significant ways since he returned to Toronto, averaging 14.1 points and 8.9 rebounds in his last seven games.
Poeltl’s ability to be effective on the defensive boards has been paramount to the team’s success. He has helped the Raptors achieve a 76.1% defensive rebound percentage when on the field, compared to only a 67.9% defensive rebound percentage when off the floor.
NBA NEWS: Jakob Poeltl & Toronto Raptors Updates
“It’s certainly a luxury to have someone of this stature, and he’s just such a smart, intelligent player,” said Raptor’s head coach Adrian Griffin.
With the NBA playoffs just around the corner and the Raptors currently first team out (if the playoffs start today), Poerltl’s spark could be a catalyst for a playoff run as of late 20 games left in the season.
The addition of Poerltl also has real potential to fill the void that was the blatant lack of depth in the center position with backups Precious Achiuwa, Christian Koloko and Chris Boucher not playing consistently enough to make a big enough impact given the implication of the playoffs.
NBA NEWS: Jakob Poeltl & Toronto Raptors Updates
It seems Poerltl hasn’t lost his rhythm with his old teammates Fred Vanvleet and Pascal Siakim, and instead played more comfortably as a member of the starting lineup, hitting his career-high as a Raptor and scoring 30 points in a 10-point win on the Orlando Magic.
“He was a game changer,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said of Poerltl’s performance. [It’s] not just his offensive rebounds, but his ability to put down those solid screens. [We’re] navigating how to get back in front of him and then he does a great job finishing on the edge.
NBA NEWS: Jakob Poeltl & Toronto Raptors Updates
It’ll be interesting to see how much Poeltl’s veteran presence pays off for the Raptors as the fourth quarter of the season comes to a close, but at the end of the day, a 7-foot-1 player who can do all the things most big men not being able to in the league is always a plus to have on a squad.
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