Poeltl has always been one of the most underrated centers in the NBA, but he had an injury-riddled 2023-24 campaign. The big man missed time early due to a leg issue and was sidelined for the final month due to a finger injury. That's unfortunate because he averaged 12.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.8 blocks on 60 percent shooting in his final 13 games before the finger issue. We also saw Poeltl play at least 66 games in the six years prior, so we have to call last season a fluke from an injury standpoint. Over the last three years, Poeltl has averaged 12.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.5 blocks on 63 percent shooting. That's the progression we want to see from a blossoming center, and he should continue to start for the Raptors next season. He also might get a bump with Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby leaving over the last year because the Raptors are clearly in rebuild mode. The only other center on the roster is Kelly Olynyk, but that should still guarantee Poeltl 25-30 minutes a night. There aren't many traditional centers left in the NBA, but Poeltl should be an excellent source of rebounds, blocks and field-goal percentage in 2024-25. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a three-year, $58.5 million contract with the Raptors in July of 2023. Contract includes $19.5 million player option for 2026-27.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
Poeltl was born in Vienna, Austria, to Martina and Rainer Poeltl in 1995. Both of his parents were members of the Austrian national volleyball teams. He has a sister named Miriam. Poeltl took an interest in basketball at an early age and played one season for the Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions of the Austrian Bundesliga in 2013-14. During that campaign, Poeltl posted per-game averages of 12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots. He also played for Austria in the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. In seven contests, he averaged 15.4 points, 12.3 boards and 2.6 blocks. Poeltl was recruited by a number of United States colleges and eventually committed to play for the University of Utah. In 2016, he became the first Austrian-born player to make an appearance in the NBA. Learn more about Poeltl by following him on Instagram (@jakob). Poeltl was named the 2015-16 Pac-12 Player of the Year while at Utah. He was also named to the 2015-16 All-American Second Team and the 2016 All-Pac-12 Tournament First Team. He helped Utah to the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Vienna, Austria native led the Pac-12 in 2015-16 in two-point field goals (228) and field-goal percentage (.646). Furthermore, he led the Utes in points (620), points per game (17.2), rebounds (327), offensive rebounds (102), defensive rebounds (225), rebounds per game (9.1), offensive rebounds per game (2.8), defensive rebounds per game (6.3), blocks (56) and blocks per game (1.6). Poeltl entered the 2016 NBA Draft after his second season at Utah. He was chosen in the first round (ninth overall) by the Toronto Raptors.
ANALYSIS Poeltl will miss his 21st straight game to end the season Sunday after undergoing surgery on his left pinkie finger. The 28-year-old big man will end the 2023-24 campaign averaging 11.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in 26.4 minutes across 50 appearances.
2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
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Advanced Stats
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Stat Review
How does Jakob Poeltl compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
65.3%
Effective Field Goal %
65.6%
3-Point Attempt Rate
0.0%
Free Throw Rate
28.3%
Offensive Rebound %
11.9%
Defensive Rebound %
24.1%
Total Rebound %
17.9%
Assist %
14.0%
Steal %
1.1%
Block %
5.1%
Turnover %
12.2%
Usage %
0.0%
Fantasy Points Per Game
30.3
Fantasy Points Per Minute
1.1
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Total
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NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Raptors Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Jakob Poeltl was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
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Originally drafted by the Raptors ninth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, two spots ahead of Domantas Sabonis, Poeltl wasn't able to put together that kind of All-Star career after being sent to the Spurs a couple years later in the Kawhi Leonard trade. The 27-year-old center did break out as a dependable asset at both ends of the court in 2021-22, however, and he got shipped back to Toronto at last season's trade deadline when San Antonio decided it didn't want to sign him to a long-term extension. The Raptors had no such qualms, locking him up with a four-year, $80 million contract in June. While his offensive skill set is somewhat limited, and he can be a liability at the free-throw line, Poeltl has averaged better than 12 points, nine rebounds and a block in four straight campaigns while shooting at least 61 percent from the field. He also has a reputation as a strong passer, although his usage has been such that his career high in assists is just 2.8 per game, set in 2021-22. Poeltl won't suddenly become Nikola Jokic, but the Raptors will head into next season lacking a true point guard, with Dennis Schroder replacing Fred VanVleet. Plus, new coach Darko Rajakovic's system figures to emphasize ball movement over the isolation sets that the Raptors employed too often last year. Poeltl could benefit from that change and add a few more dimes to his otherwise steady production.
Last season marked the third consecutive year Poeltl saw increased minutes, and it marked the best season of his career by a significant margin. He started all but one of his 68 appearances and averaged 13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 blocks in 29.0 minutes. His field-goal percentage (61.8) was fantastic, but his 49.5 percent mark from the charity stripe was downright awful and quite damaging to his fantasy value, though he took only 2.8 attempts per game. Poeltl's increased production wasn't simply a product of more minutes, as Poeltl's 18.3 percent usage rate was significantly higher than his previous high mark of 14.8 percent in 2017-18. The center ranked 79th in per-game fantasy production. This season, he should have room to grow yet again. The Spurs are in one of the best tanking situations in the NBA, with their best player arguably being Keldon Johnson. Poeltl can only handle so much usage as a traditional center without much of a post game, but he's displayed upside as a passer and could handle the ball more frequently than ever before. Fantasy managers should temper expectations given Poeltl's limitations as a player, but he deserves a selection earlier than his ranking from the end of last season.
Poeltl is coming off the best season of his five-year career in The Association, as the big man posted career-best marks in most categories. He averaged a career-high 26.7 minutes per game, which translated into personal bests in points (8.6), rebounds (7.9), assists (1.9), blocks (1.8) and steals (0.7). The veteran big man recorded 16 double-doubles last season and all but one of those came as a starter. Poeltl might be in line for his best season yet if he manages to stay healthy as the Spurs' starting center. Poeltl might not have a lot of upside in standard leagues, but he could be a decent option as a late pick because he can contribute with rebounds and blocks while also offering double-digit scoring outputs on a semi-consistent basis. While he's not expected to become a regular offensive force in the Spurs' scheme, the fact that he has shot at least 60 percent from the field in each of his last four seasons bodes well for his chances of being efficient on limited touches.
In his second season with San Antonio, Poeltl saw his playing time increase and averaged 5.6 points, 5.7 boards and 2.0 combined blocks-plus-steals across 17.7 minutes. He shot better than 60 percent from the floor for the third straight season but was a bit worse from the charity stripe, as he shot sub-50 percent from the free-throw line. Poeltl started just 18 games all season, but he started the Spurs' final eight games inside the bubble with favorable results. Across his final four games, the big man came down with double-digit rebounds three times, logged two double-doubles and averaged 2.5 combined blocks-steals. During the offseason, he re-upped with the Spurs on a three-year, $27 million contract. It seems possible coach Gregg Popovich will try to find some more run for the 25-year-old, but the presence of LaMarcus Aldridge still complicates things.
In his first season with the Spurs following last summer's blockbuster trade featuring Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan, Poeltl posted career-high per-game averages of 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He also noticeably improved his ball control (0.6 turnovers per game) after amassing 1.0 turnover versus 0.7 assists in 2017-18. However, Poeltl connected on a career-low 53.3 percent from the charity stripe. He appeared in 77 games in 2018-19 while drawing 24 starts, after coming off the bench in 132 of 136 tilts through two campaigns with the Raptors. However, he earned fewer minutes per night this past season (16.5) than he did in 2017-18 (18.6). Overall, Poeltl is a decent option for deeper category leagues thanks to his fairly well-rounded production and sky-high field-goal percentage (64.5). The young big man turns 24 in October and could be poised to make a leap if he's able to carve out more consistent and ample playing time, and he did see 25.3 minutes per game across seven playoff bouts against the Nuggets. Still, it remains to be seen whether that was mostly a matchup-based decision or a vote of confidence from coach Gregg Popovich going forward.
In his second NBA season, Poeltl played in all 82 games, upping his averages to 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks across 18.6 minutes. He struggled mightily as a free-throw shooter at 59.4 percent, but he did finish at a solid 65.9 percent from the field. He showed plenty of improvement with his all-around game and provided the rim-protection that the Raptors coveted when selecting him with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. However, with Toronto getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Cavaliers once again, the organization opted to make some significant roster moves. One of those was acquiring superstar Kawhi Leonard, which sent DeMar DeRozan and Poeltl to the Spurs in the corresponding move. Look for Poeltl to have a slightly increased role following the move considering he's joining a San Antonio squad that doesn't have a ton of depth at center outside of LaMarcus Aldridge and an aging Pau Gasol. More minutes means added production, though Poeltl will still likely struggle to be anything more than a block specialist in the deepest of leagues.
After being selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Poeltl didn't play a huge role during his rookie season, mostly serving as a deep reserve at center for the playoff bound Raptors. In 54 games, including four starts, Poeltl ended the year averaging 3.1 points and 3.1 rebounds across 11.6 minutes, while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor. The Raptors ended up re-signing Serge Ibaka this offseason and will also bring back Jonas Valanciunas, so there's not going to be a ton of minutes available for Poeltl in the frontcourt during his sophomore campaign. He's slated to battle Lucas Nogueira for rights to the backup center role, although if Nogueira's slow development continues in his fourth season, the Raptors could try and get Poeltl, the younger and higher upside option, even more run to see what he's capable of. Poeltl figures to see an increase in playing time, but it likely won't be enough to make him a viable Fantasy target in the majority of leagues.
The Raptors have historically coveted international players in the draft, so it wasn't overly surprising when they spent their ninth overall selection on Poeltl, an Austrian-born center who honed his craft at Utah for two seasons. A quick glance at the 7-foot-1 Poeltl may lead one to assume he's a typical plodding post player -- the kind the NBA game has been moving away from for several years. However, that assertion overlooks the finer points of the 20-year-old's game. Poeltl is an excellent passer; perhaps not on the level of fellow lottery picks Dragan Bender or Domantas Sabonis, but just a notch below those two in terms of passing big men in the entire draft class. This skill could allow him to occupy the same kind of role Mason Plumlee assumed last season with the Trail Blazers, in which he worked with the guards on dribble handoffs and complex perimeter schemes designed to get the wing scorers favorable matchups. Poeltl won’t be an elite rebounder or rim protector and in fact often struggled when matched up with those type of players in college, but he can average or better in those departments, and he has the all-around skills that few seven footers can claim. However, with Jonas Valanciunas under contract through the 2019-2020 season, it may take a while before Poeltl gets an extended chance to show the Raptors what he's fully capable of doing. He'll likely battle with Lucas Nogueira for top backup duties in the preseason, a role that won't afford the eventual winner many minutes.
More Fantasy News
Still limited at practice
CToronto Raptors
Finger
April 8, 2024
Poeltl (finger) participated in parts of Monday's practice but was limited to using only his right hand, Raptors reporter Aaron Rose reports.
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Not ready for contact work
CToronto Raptors
Finger
March 26, 2024
Head coach Darko Rajakovic said Tuesday that Poeltl (hand) has been doing some light on-court work but still hasn't been cleared for contact, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.
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Undergoes surgery
CToronto Raptors
Finger
March 5, 2024
The Raptors announced Tuesday that Poeltl is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left pinkie finger, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.
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Seeing hand specialists
CToronto Raptors
Finger
March 5, 2024
Poeltl (pinky dislocation) is being consulted by hand specialists and there is no update or estimated return as of Tuesday, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.
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Won't play Tuesday
CToronto Raptors
Finger
March 4, 2024
Poeltl (finger) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Pelicans, Aaron Rose of SI.com reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Offering quality over quantity
CToronto Raptors
December 13, 2023
Poeltl ranks second leaguewide by shooting 72.4 percent from the field, and his 82.6 percent efficiency as a pick-and-roll finisher leads all qualifiers.
ANALYSIS Poeltl has been remarkably effective in Toronto's offense, leading the league with 1.50 points per possession and shooting 79.9 percent at the rim in total. His 6.8 shot attempts per game and 13.5 percent usage rate are sizable dips from his volume over the past two seasons, but he's nonetheless capitalizing on his opportunities.