Toronto Raptors Player Preview: Jakob Poeltl, a steady vet on a rebuilding team

Poeltl, entering his ninth NBA season, projects to be the only Raptors starter older than 25.

Fans took notice when Jakob Poeltl, during a Toronto Raptors Media Day press conference, spoke in rather explicit terms about the Raptors’ relationship to winning games in the upcoming season. “I think we all know we are not going to attack the championship this year,” Poeltl said. “It makes no sense for us to try to win every single game as much as we can and sacrifice development.”

Poeltl’s assessment was blunt but ultimately reflected the Raptors’ commitment to a rebuild, starting with the O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam trades last season.

Ironically, the Raptors acquired Poeltl during the 2022-23 season in a “win-now” type trade that cost them a first-round pick. At the time, the Raptors were giving it a go with the Siakam-Anunoby-Fred VanVleet-Scottie Barnes core. They’d been without a starting- or even rotation-caliber center for a few years. So Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster went and got one – whose rim protection, rebounding and screen-setting would make life easier for his teammates – before turning the page.

Now, the page has been turned, and Poeltl is suddenly an elder statesman on a young team with lottery spot expectations. Only Garrett Temple, Kelly Olynyk and Chris Boucher are older than Poeltl, who turns 29 next week. Instead of providing glue guy skills for a playoff run, he’ll look to be a steadying, consistent presence amid a rebuild. But make no mistake: Poeltl’s complimentary skillset will be vital to this team.

With Poeltl in the lineup, the Raptors were 21-29 last season. Without Poeltl? 4-28. Now, Poeltl’s extended absence (torn ligament in pinkie finger) did overlap with Scottie Barnes’ broken hand, so that’s not exclusively a Poeltl statistic. But his impact was clear. For the second year in a row, Poeltl led the team in on/off point differential (+9.6 per 100 possessions). While the Raptors have some options for small-ball centers, undrafted free agent signing (and Poeltl’s fellow Utah Ute) Branden Carlson is the team’s only other seven-footer. The six-foot-11 rookie Ulrich Chomche is just 18 years old. In all likelihood there is no proven, NBA-ready backup.

While the 4-28 record without Poeltl is stark, that may not seem like such a bad thing for a team that – in the big man’s own words – is prioritizing long-term development (and perhaps lottery odds in a highly anticipated draft class) over wins. So, does playing Poeltl even make sense?

Yes, yes it does.

We’ve seen multiple Raptors seasons without a proper center, and it was not pretty. Sure, development is the priority over winning. But it’s hard to develop young players when the lack of a big forces them to frequently defend second chances, exert more energy fighting for rebounds and play out of position. Scottie Barnes at center for a few minutes at a time is a fun look to throw at opponents. Scottie Barnes being stuck as the team’s big man eats into his growth. Poeltl’s presence helps other players do their job – not only because of his traditional center skills, but also his ability to reward teammates by finding cutters and making entry passes.

Speaking of traditional center skills, Poeltl’s screen-setting can help open up the offense for shooting threats like Gradey Dick and Immanuel Quickley. Poeltl has finished top 20 in the NBA in screen assists per game both of the last two seasons. In the two preceding campaigns with the Spurs he finished top-five. Since joining the Raptors, Poeltl’s screening volume has decreased. He was the pick and roll screener 3.7 times per game in 2021-22 (sixth-most in the league), versus 2.2 last season. Poeltl doesn’t provide a pick-and-pop threat, but his big frame helps create space in both on- and off-ball situations. When he receives the ball off a screen, he can finish plays with his nice touch around the rim while also having the vision to find teammates.

When the Raptors first re-acquired Jakob Poeltl, one of the most noticeable impacts (other than, you know, rebounds) was the two-man game he developed with Fred VanVleet. With the arrival of Immanuel Quickley last season, the Raptors have another point guard with whom a similar partnership may form.

Poeltl and Quickley have played 18 games together, averaging 24 minutes per contest. The sample size isn’t huge but the early returns were promising: they combined for 60.4 points per game on 49% shooting, along with 22.3 rebounds and 15.3 assists. They achieved the team’s best plus-minus among all two-man pairings (10 or more games played), outscoring opponents by 6.6 points per 100 possessions. Still, the two have more room to grow as a duo. “I’ve had individual conversations with Quick, trying to figure out what would be the best way for us to get our chemistry going as fast as possible,” Poeltl said at Media Day. “I think we were off to a pretty good start last year, it felt fairly natural. But we’re working on those nuances.”

In an era when centers are becoming increasingly perimeter-oriented, Poeltl’s skillset is something of a throwback. Last season he attempted 54 percent of his shots at the rim. He took zero threes and zero midrange shots outside 16 feet. He can hold up on a defensive switch, but opposing ball-handlers are happy to see him on the perimeter. But unlike much of the Raptors’ roster, Poeltl is a known quantity. And regardless of how good a team this is – Poeltl makes it whole.