Jakob Poeltl expects "young guys to bring a lot of energy"

"I think we've made really great improvements, especially starting with the beginning of last year-it's really been a turning point for us. We've focused in on that aggressive style of play we want, and this summer we've added even more on defence: trying to play fast, disrupt opponents, and set the tone,"

"Our young guys have individually improved a lot, and we're going to count on that in the future."

"Right now in practice we're playing against our own teammates-young guys who bring a lot of energy and play our style of basketball, which not a lot of NBA teams do. I'm curious to see how that translates against opponents who play slower or more traditional styles. But what's impressed me most is how much everyone has bought in. Nobody's out there trying to stake their own territory-it's more about asking, 'What do you want to do in this situation?' It's been cool to see, and it shows how committed everyone is to figuring it out together."

The Toronto Raptors enter 2025 with an average roster age of 24.7, ranking ninth-youngest in the NBA. Jakob Poeltl views the youth as a strength after notable improvements since the previous season, with a focus on aggressive play and enhanced defense to play fast and disrupt opponents. The bench presents uncertainty as a new starting five shifts previous heavy-minute players into reserve roles and rookies compete for rotation minutes. Training camp shows internal competition and energetic practices against teammates playing the Raptors' style. Team buy-in and collaborative attitudes have been prominent during preparations.

Read at Raptors Republic