The Raptors go big and international once again, selecting Jakob Poeltl, a Vienna-born centre who’s great friends with Delon Wright.
We speculated yesterday that Jakob Poeltl might be the Toronto Raptors selection with the #9 pick, and so he became.
It behooves us to consider in greater detail what the Raptors are getting with Poeltl, besides a player whose last name can neither be spelled nor spoken (I hear “Per-till”) without a struggle.
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Jakob stands 7’1″ in shoes, with a 7’3″ wingspan, and weighs about 240 lbs. He’s the son of two professional volleyball players back home in Austria, so he clearly springs from athletic stock. After a brilliant sophomore season at the University of Utah, Jakob declared for the draft.
Poeltl is a centre, in theory, though he looks mobile enough to move further away from the basket as a power forward. I’m not prepared to declare him a stretch-4 yet, although his jump shot looks formful to my eyes.
If you want a long and detailed examination of Jakob, check out FanSided’s speciality site, upsidemotor. There’s a lot of video; most worthwhile.
What I like about Jakob is simply this – he’s an athlete who happens to be tall. He’s got excellent hands, unlike our beloved Bismack Biyombo, so he can both catch and pass the ball effectively. His timing and positioning under the boards look pro-ready to me. He possesses a hook shot – Yay! That’s a weapon we don’t see enough in the NBA, though it was de rigeur for great scorers of the past like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Jakob’s body isn’t ready for the pounding it will take in the NBA. He’s only 20 years old, and several seasons away from full physical maturity. I’ll wager he’s going to have a busy summer, both on the court (in Summer League, presumably) and in the weight room.
The Raptors now have 3 centres, and I have difficulty believing they will open the season with that many. Jakob may be precocious enough to step into the vacant starting power forward slot, although putting that kind of pressure on the kid could backfire. Whether he sticks with the big team after training camp, or begins his new life in Toronto with the Raptors 905, is impossible to know.
The Raptors did not participate in the flurry of player movement which marked Draft Night, which doesn’t preclude them from stepping out as the summer wears on. My guess is nothing will happen on the trade front until three matters are finalized:
- the team renounces its rights (if any) to James Johnson, Luis Scola and Jason Thompson
- DeMar DeRozan re-signs in early July
- Biyombo goes elsewhere
Once all those expected roster moves are in the books, we can begin to consider other free agents and trades. Boston, can we swing a deal for Jaylen Brown?
Next: A creative off-season for Raptors?
Until then…Jakob Poeltl – welcome to Toronto. Your fellow Utah Ute (is that the worst team name ever?) Delon Wright will be happy to show you around.