"I will give credit where it's due first before coming down with the hammer. Last season showed, and in a small sample the year prior also, that Jakob Poeltl proved absolutely fundamental to this Raptors core flourishing. Why? Because since they got him at the 2023 deadline, he's largely been Toronto's only center and anchoring presence in the paint."
"Sure, the Raptors have the luxury of quality defenders like Scottie Barnes in the mix, but without Poeltl, there have been some rough stretches where Toronto gets absolutely mauled on the glass by the opposing team and simply has their way scoring near the rim due to a lack of inside protection. I've sat and watched Toronto go through this, especially in the last few years, and given Poeltl's career year last season, I've largely been one to defend the 30-year-old - despite many others highlighting his red flags before recognizing his contributions."
"Poeltl didn't suit up against the Lakers on December 4, as he was nursing a nagging back injury (which I will get to later), but he's been in the lineup for the last three Raptors games - and the results have been far from pretty. Jakob Poeltl is looking like a shell of his former self. It really started in Toronto's 111-86 losing effort against Charlotte on December 5, which to be fair was a back-to-back, but Poeltl did have the night prior to rest up and get back to game speed."
Jakob Poeltl became the Raptors' primary center after the 2023 deadline, anchoring interior defense and paint presence for the team. His presence helped limit opponents' scoring near the rim and provided crucial rebounding support. Despite a career season and many defenses of his play, recent performances coincided with a four-game losing streak and raised concerns about his effectiveness. Poeltl missed a December 4 game with a back issue but returned for subsequent games with poor results. In a 111-86 loss to Charlotte the team was outrebounded and surrendered too many second-chance points, and Poeltl appeared out of sync amid team fatigue.
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