From JLew1050: Poeltl making himself at home in second stint with Raptors. COLUMN:
TORONTO – Truth be told, Jakob Poeltl had mixed emotions about the timing of the All-Star break.
He couldn’t have asked for a better landing spot. Rejoining the Raptors, who drafted him in 2016, has been the perfect fit for player and team. For one, he’s addressed Toronto’s long-time need at the centre position. But most importantly, the organization’s intention is to win games now and in the future, and it’s clear they consider him a big part of that future.
The 7-foot-1 Austrian has made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor. In four games since the trade, the Raptors are nearly 28 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court than when he’s off it. They’re scoring 118.9 points per 100 possessions, better than the NBA’s best offensive team , and they’re holding opponents to 103.0 points, better than the league best defence .
As well as the Raptors played on Thursday night, a late Pelicans run cut their lead – which was once as large as 15 points – to two inside of the final minute. It was the type of game they’ve lost over and over again this season. This time, they came away with a 115-110 win, and the biggest difference was Poeltl.
Before the break, Poeltl told his new head coach that he’s already feeling pretty comfortable with the offence, but he would need to play catch-up defensively. Nurse spent the week off putting together a short package of clips and concepts that would help him get up to speed on that end of the floor. Over time, they hope to do some tinkering and start adapting the defence a bit more to fit Poeltl’s strengths.
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