On Wednesday, Pöltl, who was the first Austrian ever to be drafted by Toronto as number nine in 2016, was congratulated by his team on his special birthday. The Raptors players honored their now leader with a serenade of the hit “Happy Birthday” by Stevie Wonder. It was only in the summer that the Viennese extended his contract in the Canadian metropolis until 2030 for a total of 104 million dollars (around 88.7 million euros).
Pöltl then made his comeback in a friendly against the Boston Celtics. And he did so with a mask after he suffered a broken nose during training. In addition, back problems and a cold had slowed the 30-year-old down, forcing him to watch. Pöltl’s first test didn’t go as planned with a 108:110 against the record champions, but the Austrian was able to put himself in the spotlight with eight points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
Pöltl is starting his tenth NBA season
The Viennese NBA professional Jakob Pöltl is starting his anniversary season next week and is celebrating ten years in the league. After overcoming injury problems, he played his first preseason game just in time for his 30th birthday.
“I noticed that there was still a bit of air missing,” said Pöltl afterwards in the ORF interview. He still felt the after-effects of his illness; his lungs in particular would need “some more time”. At least the mask didn’t hinder him during the game. “As long as the healing goes well, there shouldn’t be any problems. I didn’t have any problems in training either,” said Pöltl.
Pöltl is still looking for fine-tuning
The first match experience with the team was definitely positive, said Pöltl. Even if certain coordination problems were noticeable a week before the start of the season. “It’s a good fit. I still have to see how I fit in,” said the center. “We have an aggressive team, a lot of young guards who put pressure on the opponent. I’m still trying to find my place in the defense.”
The interaction with Brandon Ingram, who for many experts can be the “X factor” in the Raptors’ game this season, is also moving in the right direction, said Pöltl. In any case, the anticipation for the season alongside the forward, who was brought in in January, is great. “He’s doing what he’s done his entire career. He’s an elite scorer. He’s taken our system to heart and is already playing well,” said Austria’s NBA pioneer full of praise.
Injury devil opens door in the east
In general, the young squad gives hope of ending the 2018/19 champions’ play-off doldrums that have lasted for three seasons. “I just hope that we can have a good season. We have what it takes to play at the top and get into the play-offs. The goal has to be to get a taste of play-off air for the first time with this team,” said Pöltl, clearly setting the course.
In any case, the race in the Eastern Conference is quite open before the start of the season. The injury devil is to blame for this. For example, the title candidates Boston and Indiana Pacers, who made it to the finals last season, have to do without their top stars Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, respectively. Both are on ice with a torn Achilles tendon. The favorites in the Eastern Conference are the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.
Money is not a motivator
Despite mixed preparation, in which the successful World Cup pre-qualification with the Austrian national team was one of the highlights, Pöltl is starting the season full of enthusiasm. Also because his sporting future in Toronto and the NBA is secured in the medium term thanks to the new contract.
The fact that he is one of the red-white-red top earners in sports alongside footballer Bernhard Raimann is not an extra motivation for the Viennese. “That’s in the past,” said Pöltl when it came to contract negotiations, “That no longer plays a role in my mind. Now it’s just about basketball.”
