Raptors Need to Focus on the Future With All Trade Options On the Table
For all the trade talk surrounding Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby these days, the Toronto Raptors might want to consider seeing what’s out there for Jakob Poeltl. That’s not to say it’s time to force a trade involving Poeltl, who the Toronto Raptors acquired for a top-six protected 2024 first-round pick at last year’s trade deadline. Moves out of desperation are rarely a good idea. But on the heels of a 125-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, it’s only becoming more apparent that Toronto’s goals this year need to be about building a roster around Scottie Barnes. For that to happen, a Poeltl deal must be considered. Nothing is going to happen soon, or, frankly, at all this season. But Friday marked the first day that a deal involving Poeltl could even be viable. The vast majority of players who signed contracts this past summer are now eligible to be traded. For Toronto, that means Poeltl, Dennis Schroder, Jalen McDaniels, and Garrett Temple are all now trade-eligible. Against the Hawks, Poeltl showed a lot of what he’s brought to the Raptors since the team acquired him last February. He’s a high-end pick-and-roll roll man who ranks among the league’s best when it comes to scoring in the paint. He came into Friday night second in the NBA in field goal percentage, shooting 72% from the floor thanks largely to the fact that he doesn’t attempt shots further than 10 to 14 feet from the hoop. If he can get the ball close enough to the rim, he’s almost automatic. He was a perfect 6-for-6 to start against Atlanta, scoring 12 of his 15 points before halftime. Each of those buckets came with an assist, usually from Scottie Barnes or OG Anunoby who had success collapsing the Hawks defense before dropping a dump-off pass to the Austrian big man. The problem with Poeltl is he’s just OK. He’s not strong enough in the paint to really deter shots like Rudy Gobert or Joel Embiid. Stronger bigs like Clint Capella can bully him for buckets at the rim. And yet, he’s also not quick nor versatile enough to switch on the perimeter or hold his own even in an emergency against crafty guards. For Trae Young, an isolation attempt against Poeltl is a near-perfect scoring opportunity.
Of course, Young burned Toronto with a flurry of deep three-pointers including a logo three early in the fourth quarter to sick the Hawks to a 12-points lead. But as effective for Young was his in-the-paint scoring that seemed completely unfazed by Poeltl’s presence. He racked up 16 of his 38 points in the paint and added 11 assists, often on kick-out passes when Toronto collapsed around him. Poeltl gave up a costly rebound to Capela late in the fourth quarter and then took his fourth foul caught trying to guard Young on the perimeter. Young later nailed a floater right over Poeltl’s outstretched arms as the Hawks jumped back ahead by 20 and iced the game for good in the final minutes. Offensively, Poeltl’s fit has always been the bigger problem. The fact that he’s a non-shooter from anywhere further than the free-throw line means Toronto’s spacing is tight. It’s tough to have two non-shooters on the court together in the modern NBA and more often than not the Raptors are playing with three or four average to below-average floor spacers at a time. Poeltl’s whole value in Toronto has been clouded by what’s been said about him.
