Not to sound cliché, but the Raptors' most important "deadline addition" is already on the roster.
Jakob Poeltl missed nearly two months with a back injury and was clearly limited even before being sidelined. But a fully healthy and effective Jakob Poeltl changes how this team operates.
Poeltl has quietly been one of Toronto’s most important players
Poeltl has spent the last two and a half seasons anchoring the Raptors' defense, gobbling up rebounds, setting hard screens, and giving Toronto something it otherwise lacks: a legitimate interior presence to match opposing centers.
When he is right physically, the Raptors are a different team. Over the previous two seasons, the Raptors have been 7.6 points per 100 possessions better with the Austrian big man on the floor.
Some of those massive on/off splits reflects the team’s lack of reliable backup centers in recent years. Still, the number underscores just how stabilizing Poeltl has been for the Raptors.
The first half was not the "real" Jakob Poeltl
Earlier this season, Poeltl was neither fully healthy nor fully effective, and the impact reflected that. Up to this point, the Raptors have been 2.9 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor. He is also posting his lowest scoring and rebounding averages in years.
The eye test supported the numbers. Defensively, he struggled to defend in space and contain pick-and-roll actions. Offensively, he lacked the mobility to consistently make plays inside. The result was more mismatch hunting on one end and unforced errors on the other.
Any time a 30-year-old, 250-pound center deals with recurring back issues, concern is valid. But Toronto made the correct decision to shut him down. Poeltl missed 24 games and sought specialized treatment rather than playing through it. That reset may prove more valuable than any minor trade deadline move the Raptors could have made.
A healthy Jakob Poeltl elevates everyone
There are different ways to create space in today’s NBA. The most obvious is three-point shooting. But the oldest method is still one of the most effective: setting hard screens. Poeltl is among the best in the league at it. That screening will benefit Toronto’s guards most.
Immanuel Quickley will have more room to operate without having to work as hard to generate separation, and the second unit will function more smoothly with cleaner pick-and-roll actions. Defensively, Poeltl’s presence allows Scottie Barnes to roam. Barnes can lean into his strengths as a help defender and playmaker in passing lanes. These types of impacts show Poeltl’s true value.
Poeltl provides a skillset no other player on the roster can replicate. His return gives Coach Rajaković more lineup and matchup flexibility that will help everyone on the roster.
Conclusion
We do not yet know how Jakob Poeltl will respond in the second half. But if he returns to the form he showed over the past two seasons, Toronto’s biggest addition at the deadline is not some star-studded, new name. It will be their fully healthy, starting-caliber two-way center already in the building.
Poeltl's steadfast presence could be the difference between the Raptors simply making the playoffs and making a real run in the playoffs.