"I don't think for one second that last year's Jakob Poeltl career resurgence was a fraud or fool's gold by any stretch. I was pleasantly surprised by Poeltl's impact for Toronto, and it's been clear based on the advanced analytics that when the big fella didn't suit up for the Raptors, the team would take a massive hit, and it revealed just how much of an impact Poeltl had as an on-court presence."
"The 30-year-old Poeltl has been dealing with a myriad of injuries, most visibly a nose break which he has been protecting with a face mask, and the aforementioned back injury as Josh Lewenberg highlighted in his X post. A bad back can hinder anyone - just look at how many older, regular folks deal with it on a daily basis. Now imagine how much more that would affect a professional athlete."
Jakob Poeltl produced a clear resurgence last season and provided measurable on-court benefits when available. Early 2025-26 play shows a notable decline, with the Raptors being outscored during his minutes and his averages falling to 6.5 points and 5.2 rebounds. Poeltl is coping with multiple injuries, including a broken nose protected by a face mask and a limiting back issue. Limited center depth has contributed to him playing while not fully healthy. Coaching staff emphasized high rebounding expectations, increasing pressure for Poeltl to regain prior form to restore team performance.
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