Pöltl, who had previously been out for a long time due to an ankle injury, made his last NBA appearance on March 4th. After that, the Raptors lost 15 games in a row. The 28-year-old ends his eighth NBA season with 50 appearances, the fewest in his career to date.
He averaged 11.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 65.6 percent field shooting percentage in 26.4 minutes of playing time per game. The center leads his team in the categories of rebounds and blocks, and his accuracy from the field is the second best in the entire league.
Reuters/USA Sports Today/Alonzo Adams Jakob Pöltl (r.) is an important support for the Raptors when he is on the court
Frustration and some “ups and downs”
Pöltl explained that the season went well for him apart from the injuries. “There were ups and downs. When things didn’t go well, I felt like it was a little bit out of my control. All in all, it was a season that you can put behind you, but from which you can also take a lot with you as you look to the future.”
He dealt with the injuries quite well, even if the situation was of course frustrating, said the Viennese. “If things aren’t going well for the team, it’s even more difficult to watch. The healing process itself is positive, it’s not yet 100 percent, but I can use my hand and finger more and more, and my mobility is getting better and better.
Schedule and tables
In any case, the course of the season was exciting and “everything was there”. “At the beginning there was a new head coach and new staff with a completely new system, many new teammates,” reflected Pöltl. “Then things went sometimes better, sometimes worse. The trades turned everything upside down and we had to rework everything with the group several times. There were a lot of injuries, including mine. So it’s really been a weird, turbulent season.”
Clear perspective for next season
In terms of sport, it was a disappointing year for the Raptors. “The old project has officially come to an end, now we can fully concentrate on the next goal, working our way up with a new generation of young Raptors players. The team will now be built around Scottie Barnes instead of Pascal Siakam and Co. before,” said Pöltl.
Looking ahead gives him hope: “This gives us a clear perspective that we were previously told did not exist so clearly. It’s not easy to grow with young players, but we have a lot of people who have already shown that they can play “winning basketball,” and if we implement it correctly, things can go up relatively quickly.” He himself will now Spend a few weeks in Canada and the USA and come to Austria around mid-May.
