This should encourage Raptors fans.
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl isn't interested in looking back at the rough stretch that cost him a third of the season, and his recent play has given the team every reason to feel good about the road ahead.
When asked recently if his back issues were still weighing on him, Poeltl kept his answer short and to the point.
"Uh, no. Honestly, I think that stuff is in the past," Poeltl said. "I'm not really thinking about that too much."
That response might feel surprising given what Poeltl went through this season, but it tells you where his head is right now.
The 30-year-old center missed 33 games due to a lingering back injury that started during training camp and stuck with him well into February.
He said earlier this season that not having a clear timeline was the hardest part, and that the Raptors were practically guessing at when he would feel right again.
A Tough Road to Get Here
Poeltl's injury history hasn't been limited to just this year.
During the 2023-24 season he dealt with both a leg issue and a finger injury that knocked him out for the final month, raising real questions about his durability.
Toronto still bet on him in a big way with a four-year, $104 million extension in July 2025, but the back problems that followed made the early returns on that deal look shaky.
The Raptors had to go most of the first few months without their only true center, and the lack of size hurt them in matchups against bigger teams.
Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles stepped in and held things down during Poeltl's absence, but the team always looked different without their anchor in the middle.
Back and Better
Since returning to the court on February 11, Poeltl has been one of the more productive centers in the league.
Over his last nine games he has averaged 13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks while shooting 70.8 percent from the field, and his best game came against the Detroit Pistons on March 15 when he put up 21 points and 18 rebounds in a season-high 36 minutes.
On the season, Poeltl's numbers sit at 10.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, but those figures are dragged down by limited minutes early in his return.
The version of Poeltl that Toronto is getting right now looks a lot closer to the guy who averaged 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds last season, and that is a huge deal for a team trying to make the playoffs for the first time in four years.
Why It Matters Down the Stretch
The Raptors sit at 39-30 and hold the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with 13 games remaining.
Toronto has been competitive all year, but their record against top teams has been a problem, going just 2-19 against the league's best.
A healthy Poeltl changes that equation because he gives them a physical presence who can protect the rim, rebound at a high level, and set the kind of screens that open things up for Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram.
Poeltl may not grab headlines, but his teammates know what he brings.
Point guard Immanuel Quickley has pointed out that so much of what Poeltl does won't show up in a box score, from changing shots to setting screens that create open looks.
If he can stay healthy into the postseason, the Raptors have a real chance to make some noise in the East.