So far in the Raptors' 0-2 playoff skid to the Cavaliers, a major point of concern has been the negative impact of Jakob Poeltl. Game 1 revealed the warning signs, and Game 2 confirmed those fears. Poeltl’s poor presence led to him being benched entirely after just nine minutes on the court.
In that aftermath, the handling of Poeltl for the rest of this series would be a key storyline and a very important factor to consider heading into a must-win Game 3 later tonight.
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic addressed the Poeltl situation during a recent playoff practice media scrum.
Coach Darko Rajakovic suggests Jakob Poeltl will play a significant role in Game 3
When asked how they could get him to be a "bigger contributor", he responded, "[...] He needs to be part of the solution for us. He needs to be aggressive. He needs to, you know, dominate the glass. When he's catching offensive rebounds, putting it back in to finish. I think defensively he did well against his matchups. He's going to be a big part of Game 3, and I believe he's going to perform very well."
While Rajakovic is completely valid in what he said here, I think at the same time it almost sounds like a contradiction to what actually happened in that Game 2 result. Poeltl clearly wasn't enough to warrant more than 9:26 of playing time, and he was simply played off the floor by guys like Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
I can respect the Raptors' head coach coming out to the media and trying to instill confidence in one of the team's more negatively received players by assuring he believes in his ability to turn it around. We’ve heard the coach say the same thing about Brandon Ingram in recent media scrums (I’ll get to that subject in another piece).
But let’s be real here. I can’t imagine where comments like this are going to reassure the already uneasy Raptors fans who have been disappointed with Jakob Poeltl, especially when they hear that he’s going to be a big part of Game 3 — or at least, that’s what Rajakovic claims at face value.
If we’re strictly talking from an expectation standpoint, then yes, you absolutely want Poeltl to step up. Still, I would be very cautious about how to utilize him in this matchup because the cold, hard truth is that he’s just been atrocious in this series. When you play badly, I don’t think you should be let off the hook and continuing on like nothing is wrong. A change needs to be sparked, especially since this team is 0-2 in the series — just how much grace is Toronto willing to give Poeltl with an exit looming near?
To add a bit of suspense to the situation, Rajakovic was later asked about his concrete plans for the Raptors' starting center position in Game 3. He simply replied, "I don't know (chuckles). I have plenty of time to think about it." So take that how you will also.
From my view, the formula heading into Game 3 should be simple for Toronto. Give more run to CMB or Sandro Mamukelashvili in place of Poeltl. I think it would be the smartest move to have Poeltl come off the bench and see how he can operate with the second unit/tweaked role. I’m not asking to see him completely taken off the floor. Despite how weak he’s been, he’s still one of the Raptors’ only true center options and deserves a chance.
I'm all for the coach lighting a fire under the Raptors' center, but at the same time, the Game 3 strategy shouldn't be taken lightly. Poeltl, like others facing the same pressure, needs to either wake up or accept being passed by.
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