What Raptors fans can expect from first round pick Jakob Poeltl

With the ninth overall selection in the 2016 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors selected 7’1″ centre Jakob Poeltl out of the University of Utah. He will be the first Austrian-born athlete to ever play in the National Basketball Association.

[Editor’s Note: Please welcome Quinn Allen to Raptors Rapture as our new Staff Writer. This is his first post.]

Jakob Poeltl was an mainstay in the paint for the University of Utah in two seasons. Last year he captured the Pac 12 player of the year, second team All-American, and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award for the best Centre in college basketball.

Poeltl hails from a very athletic family. Both his parents played Volleyball at the national level. As Poeltl voiced in past interviews, he would spend hours as a kid at the court with his parents. Sports were a big part of Poeltl’s life, from a young age.

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Before Poeltl enrolled at the University of Utah, he spent a year playing in the Austrian pro league. That experience forced him to mature in the game at a very young age.

Unlike most big men, Poeltl has great athleticism. For a guy who’s 7’1 he moves around very smoothly on the court. While he doesn’t attempt or convert many shots from downtown, Fans can expect Poeltl to be lethal in the paint.

Poeltl He shot .658 from the floor in two seasons at Utah, which ranked him at the top of the record books in school history. From watching him in College and on tape, Poeltl moves around very well on the court unlike most 7 footers. The athletic genes are definitely part of that. He throws down one-handed dunks with ease and doesn’t look awkward doing so like some big players. I also noticed from his scouting videos that he has a great knack for putbacks from missed shots. He takes a lot of high percentage shots which shows maturity in his offensive game.

Mar 17, 2016; Denver , CO, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Paul Watson (3) strips the ball from Utah Utes forward Jakob Poeltl (42) in the second half of Utah vs Fresno State in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

His defensive game is another impressive strength. Poeltl averaged 9.1 rebounds per game last season with Utah. He should be a strength in the paint defensively for Toronto. Poeltl has great footwork on defense and can defend smaller players at times if needed to. He doesn’t possess the blocking abilities someone his size usually would, but that’s something he could improve on as he matures and gets stronger. Right now he’s more of a shot changer than a shot blocker, so he could definitely get more aggressive with blocking attempts.

Poeltl showed in Summer league in Vegas that he’s a smart player on both ends of the court. He didn’t possess any eye-popping numbers, averaging 6.8 points per game to go along with 66.7 percent shooting and averaging 7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.

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Poeltl is only 20 years of age, and really hasn’t filled out completely. He only weighs about 240 which is pretty light for his height. Once he grows into his man body, he’s going to be even better from a physical standpoint.

Meanwhile, we know the Raptors have two big men already, with Jonas Valanciunas and Lucas Nogueira. According to TSN Toronto beat writer Josh Lewenberg, Nogueira will get the opportunity to be the backup to Valunciunas, but Poeltl will get the chance to fight for that spot in training camp. There’s a good chance he could start out in the D-League with the Raptors 905, and appear in Toronto at some point during the season.

Either way, he has some serious tools as a two-way player. Jakob Poeltl will be an asset to the organization for years to come.

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