"Beyond the numbers, Poeltl simply looks like a different player. He was never an athletic rim-runner, but this season he appears noticeably slower when he's forced to defend in space. The obvious cause is his nagging back injury, which has already cost him seven games. However, any time a center on the wrong side of 30 starts dealing with recurring injuries, concern is justified."
"Toronto has a0.0 net rating with Poeltl on the floor, down from the team's overall net rating of +1.9 (meaning the Raptors outscore opponents by 1.9 points per 100 possessions on average). That's not disastrous, but it's certainly not ideal. His averages of 10.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game are also hislowest since returning to Toronto. Toronto should start exploring trade-market options for a more athletic backup who can fill minutes when Poeltl is hurt or not performing."
Toronto has slipped in the Eastern Conference, going 1-4 and being outscored by 49 points after an earlier nine-game winning streak. Jakob Poeltl has been markedly less effective, producing a 0.0 net rating with the team compared with the Raptors' overall +1.9, while averaging 10.2 points and 8.0 rebounds—the lowest since his return. A nagging back injury has cost him seven games and appears to reduce his mobility. The team lacks an athletic backup center to cover those minutes. Offensive production has dipped in RJ Barrett's absence, leaving scoring burdens uneven.
Read at Raptors Rapture
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]