Whenever Toronto faces New York, you can bet Karl-Anthony Towns is bound to have a monster game. And he did just that on October 15, when the Raptors met the Knicks for the second time. “Big KAT” came close to a triple-double, finishing with 13 points, 15 rebounds (12 of them defensive), and nine assists. On Toronto’s side, the ever-polarizing Jakob Poeltl started at center and went tooth and nail against one of the NBA’s top bigs. The matchup was another reminder of how limited the Raptors are when it comes to flexibility with their veteran center.
Jak started the game on a positive note by his usual standards, taking Towns head-on and earning two and-ones in the first quarter. It looked like a promising glimpse of his ability to keep up for the whole game. But as the night went on, the usual Poeltl dilemma showed itself again, and the Raptors paid for it.
Things only got worse when backup Andre Drummond took over for KAT — and outshined Jak, too. Drummond gave the Knicks an added frontcourt punch, putting up 14 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in just 15 minutes. It’s one thing to watch KAT get his routine “free eats,” as the kids would say, but making a 33-year-old Andre Drummond (with all due respect) look like an unstoppable force, too? That’s just inexcusable.
Not only could Poeltl not keep up with New York’s bigs, but his presence inside as Toronto’s most notable (and only) 7-footer was largely rendered useless: he grabbed just four boards, while Towns and Drummond combined for 23. If it weren’t for Collin Murray-Boyles, who keeps earning his shine with each impressive showing, Toronto would have had no real reinforcements to make up for Poeltl’s shortcomings.
Which brings us back to the pressing question after another concerning performance from Jak: it couldn’t be much clearer to the Raptors’ front office that if they’re going to play him at the five (whether as a starter or in limited minutes with different lineups) — the ceiling stays the same. You can’t afford to play Jakob Poeltl for much more than 22 minutes, or 24–25 at the absolute most. Even then, you might be pushing it.
Poeltl’s performance against New York showed why the Raptors are stuck on his minutes
Against competent teams like New York, who pose a real threat compared to the options Toronto has at its disposal, it’s a catch-22. You’re pretty much forced to play Poeltl for a stretch, and he can do alright in a modest role or particular level of opposition (like we saw in spurts against the Clippers last week). But after a while and especially against more sound competition, his lack of foot speed on defense and limited contributions become impossible to ignore.
This was a game where I would’ve liked to see more minutes from reserve Trayce Jackson-Davis, especially after his coming-out party of sorts the other night. He’s almost the antithesis of Poeltl and could’ve brought some hustle, athleticism, and defensive upside as a “big body” to help combat at least some of New York’s dominance.
I know it can sound like a broken record to point out Poeltl’s shortcomings and weaknesses. And there’s a very valid argument to be made that he’s virtually “unplayable” at this point. I just want the Raptors to recognize what they actually have with this version of Poeltl, regardless of whatever offseason improvements he or the team claim he’s made. The reality is, you can’t get very far if he’s going to play a significant amount of minutes per night anymore. It would take nothing short of a miracle for him to flourish over that kind of gruelling span — especially against guys who are going to blitz him in comparison.
Accept that he’s hard-capped in the low-20s now, maybe even better off going 15 to 18 minutes. It’s a tough spot for Toronto after they shelled out a hefty dime to keep him, but you just have to hope he delivers early and gets covered by support as the game goes on — or that Toronto can convince someone to take on his contract.
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