The Toronto Raptors traded for Jakob Poeltl at last season’s trade deadline.
The trade has since gotten a lot of criticism by many because the Raptors gave up their 2024 first round pick (Top-6 protected) for him.
If the Raptors are once again a middling team and that pick ends up being No. 6 or higher, the San Antonio Spurs will get the pick.
Poeltl had a bit of a tough stretch this week. He struggled in the game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Damian Lillard was lightning him up off the pick and roll.
Also, Poeltl struggled to catch the basketball at times and his inability to shoot the midrange is a liability for a Raptors team that already struggles to shoot.
Where Poeltl excels however is with his rim protection. He got off to a great start against the Detroit Pistons blocking 2 shots in the opening frame. Poeltl finished the game with 3 blocks.
He quietly put together his best game of the season. Along with his 3 blocks, Poeltl finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists on a perfect 6/6 shooting from the field.
His unique stat line against the Pistons put him in some exclusive company:
Jakob Poeltl today:
16 PTS
10 REB
4 AST
3 BLK
100 FG%Only the 2nd player since 1995 to reach those numbers in a game. pic.twitter.com/s5mram7eWK
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 19, 2023
If the Raptors are going to play a playoff team this season they need Poeltl to play at a high level.
The Raptors invested a lot in him. They not only traded their 2024 first-round pick for Poeltl, but they also re-signed him to a four-year, $80 million deal this past summer.
If Poeltl continues to play as well as he did against the Pistons then the Raptors will be in good hands.
O.G. Anunoby returns from injury
The Raptors got O.G. Anunoby back in their matchup against the Pistons.
Anunoby missed three straight games with a right index finger laceration he suffered doing household chores.
The Raptors looked a lot better with Anunoby out there on the court as they went on to destroy the Pistons 142-113.
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