While Toronto dominated the Orlando Magic last night, the Raptors didn’t exactly get the best sample from their two key rotation bigs, Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles. Both got into foul trouble and finished with five fouls, opening the door for Raptors reserve Trayce Jackson-Davis to make the most of his opportunity.
CMB was forced to play just over 14 minutes, while Poeltl’s foul trouble and limited impact kept him to a little over 10 minutes. TJD, meanwhile, got his biggest chance of the season yet, leading the bigs with 20 minutes played and putting up six points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
Now, I don’t want to sell the still-promising Collin Murray-Boyles short. He still worked hard to be effective in his capped minutes sample, and I think he'll remain an integral piece of the Raptors' vision moving forward. However, foul trouble is something he’ll need to figure out as the season goes on. That’s two games out of four now in which he’s come close to fouling out.
The bigger focus here is the never-ending dilemma Jakob Poeltl presents. I’ve tried my hardest to see how Jak can still be a difference-maker — or at least a remotely passable starting center. I pointed this out during the preseason, and now that the regular season is underway, Trayce Jackson-Davis’ emergence may leave Toronto with no choice but to take a sizable chunk of minutes away from Jakob Poeltl.
Raptors need to reward TJD for his efforts and stop leaning so heavily on Poeltl
Initially, I thought Poeltl’s ideal role would be around 20 to 22 minutes per game. But if the troubling signs continued, I figured the Raptors might have to cut that down to 15 to 18 minutes a night. I haven’t changed my stance, and honestly, it may be getting to a point where Poeltl is teetering close to becoming the third-stringer (or virtually unplayable), even with his expensive contract that effectively forces him into a significant role.
Sure, TJD isn’t the most athletic or dominant big, and I wouldn’t call him the long-term answer at center for a team hoping to be in championship contention. But then again, is Jakob Poeltl? Jackson-Davis looks more promising as an offensive weapon, is a much better free-throw shooter, and has shown he can block shots and hustle on the boards. He also brings sneaky value as a passer: after the win against Orlando, Scottie Barnes praised TJD’s ability to read the floor.
As brutal as it sounds, I’m not sure Jakob Poeltl has shown enough to prove he can improve the Raptors’ on-court flow. What I do know, though, is that Trayce Jackson-Davis has simply been better. It’s time for TJD to move up the ladder full-time and for the Raptors to cut their losses with Jak.
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