12-29-2023, 04:29 PM
From Zach Lowe's article today. I know Dan has been a proponent to Poetl in the past. Do you still have interest? What type of packages would he bring?
If feels like there will be a few centers on the market at the trade deadline that may lessen their value. The question is do you use assets to secure a position that may move the needle some but may not put us in the next level up of teams?
Jakob Poeltl becoming the symbol of stagnation in Toronto
The Toronto Raptors have arrived at a sad moment of clarity. They are 12-18, 11th in the East, 21st in offensive efficiency and 17th on defense. They don't really do anything well.
They are way short on 3-point shooting around Scottie Barnes. The Barnes-Pascal Siakam-OG Anunoby trio has too much of the same thing. We've heard this before, but unless Toronto turns this around in a big way in the next month-plus, I'd be surprised if we don't see some direction-shifting trade at the deadline.
The Raptors had chances at last year's deadline but went the opposite way -- acquiring old friend Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for a protected first-round pick. It helped them reach the play-in (hooray!). Poeltl and Fred VanVleet rediscovered their pick-and-roll chemistry. The Raptors blitzed teams with their best players on the floor.
VanVleet bolted in free agency; Poeltl hasn't been the same since. He has hit a league-leading 70% of his shots, but you barely feel that. It's not entirely his fault, but there are too many nights when you struggle to remember anything Poeltl did.
Dennis Schroder, VanVleet's replacement, is a below-average shooter who can't unlock Poeltl the same way, especially given Toronto's awful spacing around them. (The Raptors in Wednesday's win over the Washington Wizards replaced Schroder in the starting five with Gary Trent Jr., boosting their shooting at the cost of some playmaking.)
Poeltl's minutes are down. He has dropped back to 51% at the line. Opponents have hack-a-Jak in the bag in fourth quarters, and Poeltl resorts to push shots -- which he's good at, but still -- instead of forcing contact.
His defense has been just OK; opponents are shooting 61% at the rim with Poeltl as the closest defender, around average among starting centers. Precious Achiuwa has surged, and it might be worth examining how his perimeter-oriented game might fit alongside Toronto's core starters.
If feels like there will be a few centers on the market at the trade deadline that may lessen their value. The question is do you use assets to secure a position that may move the needle some but may not put us in the next level up of teams?
Jakob Poeltl becoming the symbol of stagnation in Toronto
The Toronto Raptors have arrived at a sad moment of clarity. They are 12-18, 11th in the East, 21st in offensive efficiency and 17th on defense. They don't really do anything well.
They are way short on 3-point shooting around Scottie Barnes. The Barnes-Pascal Siakam-OG Anunoby trio has too much of the same thing. We've heard this before, but unless Toronto turns this around in a big way in the next month-plus, I'd be surprised if we don't see some direction-shifting trade at the deadline.
The Raptors had chances at last year's deadline but went the opposite way -- acquiring old friend Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for a protected first-round pick. It helped them reach the play-in (hooray!). Poeltl and Fred VanVleet rediscovered their pick-and-roll chemistry. The Raptors blitzed teams with their best players on the floor.
VanVleet bolted in free agency; Poeltl hasn't been the same since. He has hit a league-leading 70% of his shots, but you barely feel that. It's not entirely his fault, but there are too many nights when you struggle to remember anything Poeltl did.
Dennis Schroder, VanVleet's replacement, is a below-average shooter who can't unlock Poeltl the same way, especially given Toronto's awful spacing around them. (The Raptors in Wednesday's win over the Washington Wizards replaced Schroder in the starting five with Gary Trent Jr., boosting their shooting at the cost of some playmaking.)
Poeltl's minutes are down. He has dropped back to 51% at the line. Opponents have hack-a-Jak in the bag in fourth quarters, and Poeltl resorts to push shots -- which he's good at, but still -- instead of forcing contact.
His defense has been just OK; opponents are shooting 61% at the rim with Poeltl as the closest defender, around average among starting centers. Precious Achiuwa has surged, and it might be worth examining how his perimeter-oriented game might fit alongside Toronto's core starters.