Jakob Poeltl needed a summer like this. After playing just 46 games last season, getting his body right was the priority.
“I thought it was a really good summer. Focused on the back a lot. I’ve modified my strength and conditioning training quite a bit to try to get ahead of it and get my body in the best position for a long season,” Poeltl said on Media Day.
For the Raptors, that is exactly what they wanted to hear. Poeltl’s back gave him a lot of trouble last season. He missed more games than he ever had in his career, and when he was on the floor, he didn’t always look like himself.
He averaged 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Those numbers are not terrible, but they are a big drop from what Toronto expected after giving him a major extension. The rebounding was especially frustrating.
Poeltl had 10 or more rebounds in just nine of his 46 games. When his mobility was not there, it affected pretty much everything, especially his ability to get around the glass. And the Raptors can’t really afford another season like that.
Poeltl is still their starting center. Behind him, there is not exactly a long list of proven options. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Trey Jemison are both around, but neither saw much action last season. CMB is another option at the five, but his height is built more for the four position.
So Toronto needs the Poeltl old. The guy who rebounds. The guy who protects the rim. The guy who sets those annoying screens and makes the right pass. If he is healthy going into this season, that gives Toronto opponents another big thing to worry about.
