Jakob Poeltl Presenting Early Problems for Toronto Raptors Despite Team Success

The Toronto Raptors were able to avenge their blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 129-99 win over the Orlando Magic. Playing without superstar forward Paolo Banchero, Orlando had no answer for the tenacious Toronto defense that is far and away the best in the NBA through four games, as shown by the league-low 97.9 defensive rating. Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane were held to just 28 points on 7-for-25 shooting. 

As for Toronto’s offense, Scottie Barnes was really able to turn it around after the second scoreless contest of his career in the game prior. He ended with a game-high 28 points on 11-for-17 shooting to match six rebounds, four assists, and five stocks. With seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard out for an unknown period of time (minimum a few weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania), the team will need everyone to do their part offensively if they want to stay afloat. Last night was an excellent example of this, as four of the five starters scored at least 14 points each. 

Unfortunately, the lone starter who scored in single digits is the same player under the most scrutiny heading into this season: Jakob Poeltl. Fans have been calling for the Austrian big man to be traded because his production is remarkably low given his substantial contract. This season is the final year before his new three-year, $84.1 million extension kicks in, and he is quickly playing himself off the court to start the season. 

There were high hopes for the former No. 9 pick in the 2016 NBA draft after hiring a new strength and conditioning coach over the summer. He was able to take time to heal his lower back, which held him out for 24 straight games last season, and has been using a new workout regimen to allow him more mobility and physical freedom on the floor. While he looked good in the preseason, he has not retained that level of production the Raptors were hoping for. 

He earned his contract extension through physical, aggressive basketball that resulted in rebounds and both interior scoring and defense. He has yet to tally 10 points or rebounds in a game this season, and in the last two games, he has totaled two points, three rebounds, two turnovers, and eight fouls across 29 minutes. While his 21-year-old predecessor is making a fraction of his contract, Collin Murray-Boyles has proven to be the future of the Raptors' frontcourt, despite his 6-foot-7 frame. 

It’s too early in the season for head coach Darko Rajakovic to give up on the franchise’s starting center, and he has made it clear that he will not. He strongly believes in his contributions outside the box score, which have helped lead the team to the No. 1 defensive ranking. At the end of the day, both the eye test and the stats point to Murray-Boyles as the more impactful player, so by the midseason trade deadline, general manager Bobby Webster may have no choice but to move on from the 31-year-old.