After listening to all the Raptors Media Day interviews, I noticed a clear trend in the questions being asked. Most of them centered around the team's defensive strategy and offensive goals moving forward. Along with that, many reporters were also curious about how everyone feels about Brandon Ingram's fit into the Raptors' playbook and what he brings to the table. It’s no surprise that all the talk was about Ingram, given that he was Toronto’s big splash move.
During his respective Media Day availability, Raptors veteran center Jakob Poeltl was asked this question by a reporter: "I'm just wondering what your early impressions are of Brandon Ingram as a defender and what key elements you think he's going to add on that side of the ball?"
In response, Poeltl said (YouTube link here):
Jakob Poeltl impressed by Brandon Ingram's commitment to Raptors' defensive identity
"Like I said, it's tough to say from a short or like a small sample size. I think what's really impressed me is, like I said, how much he's bought into it. For a guy that's maybe traditionally not somebody that's been asked to guard a lot of guys, maybe just like asked more of a spot-up shooter, guard more of a spot-up shooter out there or anything like he's really dialed into like our pressing, like being aggressive style of play. And I think his greatest skill on defense is honestly like he's good at anticipating where the ball is going and like using his length and stuff to be disruptive."Jakob Poeltl, Sep 29, 2025
"I don't know if that's something he's done a lot in his career, but I think he actually hasJakob Poeltl contd., Raptors Media Day
like the natural build and like instincts for it. So, if he can tap into that, yeah, it'll be really interesting to see how it goes against other teams because I don't know, we're almost so used to it by now, by having that pressure put on us. It'll be cool to see how other teams react to that. "
I think it's entirely fair for reporters and analysts to ask these questions about Brandon Ingram. When it comes to pure scoring and offensive upside, there's no denying that Ingram brings a huge boost to this Raptors core. However, on the defensive end, Ingram certainly is no Tony Allen. That’s not to say he can’t defend or is a terrible defender, but there are definitely some red flags about how much he can impact that side of the floor, since defense isn’t quite Ingram's calling card.
I don’t even think the expectation is that Ingram becomes some prime Kawhi Leonard-level defender. Still, people are eager to hear where BI has made some defensive improvements, especially considering Toronto’s reputation as a team that’s locked in on defense.
Jakob Poeltl’s response really highlights how much his new teammates believe in Ingram's potential once he's with Toronto. Poeltl mentioned that he doesn't know if defense was a major focus in his game before, but Ingram has all the tools, it's just up to him to unlock them. And if BI can elevate his game and fully embrace Toronto’s defensive schemes, it would be a huge win for the Raptors and reveal that Ingram can adapt and evolve, even as he approaches his late 20s.