The Toronto Raptors have gotten some very encouraging returns from big man Jakob Poeltl after acquiring him from the San Antonio Spurs at the trade deadline. The Austrian giant was supposed to come in and make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball, and he did plenty of that in a victory against the Orlando Magic.
Poelel recorded 30 points on 15-17 shooting from the field against an Orlando team that boasts a surprisingly deep frontcourt. On top of that, Poeltl amassed nine rebounds and six blocks in what was almost assuredly the best individual game of his NBA career.
Poeltl is showing off some of the defensive skills that made him both a Top 10 draft choice and a valued member of the Spurs for all those years. However, his offensive game is starting to reach levels that were previously unseen.
Poeltl became just the third player in NBA history to score 30 points in a game, make 85% of his shots, and make zero free throw attempts. He joined Hall of Famer David Robinson and future Hall of Famer Klay Thompson in this club, showing that Poeltl’s efficiency from San Antonio has made the trip to Toronto.
Jakob Poeltl is the 3rd player in NBA history with 30 points, 85% FG pct and 0 FTA in a game, joining Klay Thompson in 2019 and David Robinson in 1995. pic.twitter.com/wUrEHKWUh1
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 15, 2023
Toronto Raptors: Jakob Poeltl equaled David Robinson.
While Poeltl is certainly not going to be a 3-point shootout participant at any point during the next season, that doesn’t mean he is a bad offensive player. Poeltl has quietly become one of the best finishers around the rim in the league, which is exactly what this Raptors team needed.
Poeltl is a career 63% shooter, but it is a disservice to write that off as the product of dunking the ball. Poeltl has a nice touch around the basket that he simply did not have in his first Toronto stint, and the Raptors believed that finishing it was so impressive that picking him made more sense than using a first-round pick on a young player.
To make matters even better, the vibes appear to have been restored, at least for the time being. Both Chris Boucher and Precious Achiuwa were caught singing in the locker room after Poeltl’s dominant performance, showing that the Raptors might be playing free and loose once more.
Boucher and Precious singing together in the locker room
— Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) February 15, 2023
On a team that is already full of ball-dominant scorers, Poeltl was not necessarily brought to town with the goal of making him a featured offensive option. However, he’s been so dominant in his two starts that Toronto would be foolish to move away from him.