Jakob Poeltl, All Star

Generally speaking, there are few bright spots for a team that is 4-12 which includes a losing streak of seven games before the calendar flips over to December. But that is the position that the Toronto Raptors currently find themselves in. In the 2010’s, Toronto made the playoffs seven times and won it all in 2018-2019. However, they have only reached the postseason once in the 2020’s and do not appear to be trending towards a second appearance this year.

The Raptors have had some bad luck. Their franchise player, Scottie Barnes, has only appeared in four contests. RJ Barrett, who figured to be the team’s second-best player, has missed four games so far. Immanuel Quickley, who was acquired with Barrett last December, has only been healthy for three contests. That is a lot of offensive firepower on the bench.

But that has given rise to Jakob Poeltl. This is Poeltl’s second stint with Toronto and so far, it has been one for the ages. He is averaging career-highs in both points (17.0) and rebounds (11.9) per game. Already with nine double-doubles in 16 contests, Poeltl is on pace for around 46 such outings this season which would shatter his previous high of 28 (2021-2022).

Not the most graceful or explosive athlete, he looks more nimbler than he has in years past. Starting at the :21 second mark, Poeltl converted on two nice screen and rolls. The first highlighted by an emphatic dunk. The second showcased his ability to catch the ball in traffic and maintain patience while finishing.

Poeltl has managed to haul in 4.4 offensive rebounds per game thanks to sequences like the one that starts at the :51 second mark. His shooting percentage is slightly down (60.8%) versus his career average (63%), and that has contributed to his higher offensive rebounding numbers as he has a knack for retrieving his own misses. A true 7’0” that has a strong finishing craft with a soft touch. Poeltl makes good use of his lower body as he gets into shot blockers when looking to finish around the rim.

One of the most, if not the most, involved screener for the Raptors, his screens in back-to-back sequences starting at the :27 second mark helped teammates get quality looks. Per the second of those sequences, Poeltl can be used in dribble handoffs (DHO) and then flow into a screen to provide extra space for the player receiving the DHO.

I love the patience he showed when finishing around multiple defenders, starting at the 1:08 minute mark. Poeltl did not go up with the ball immediately, otherwise he might have had his shot blocked by LeBron James. He wisely used a pump fake and then patiently waited for James’ leaping swat attempt to clear. But Poeltl went up strong immediately after, drawing contact while also not allowing enough time for Rui Hachimura to block his attempt from behind.

He can be an offensive hub around the free throw area, similar (but not as potent, obviously) to how the Denver Nuggets use Nikola Jokic. Check out the sequences starting at the :39, 1:53, 2:31, and 3:02 minute marks that support that notion. Poeltl can also make smart interior passes, per the sequence starting at the 1:19 and the 1:53 minute marks.

But does all that sum up for him to be an all-star this season? There is still quite a bit of time before the event kicks off on February 16, 2025, but Poeltl is off to a good start. He currently is sixth in the NBA in rebounds per contest and third in the Eastern Conference amongst forwards, trailing Karl-Anthony Towns and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Poeltl is not among the top 50 scorers in the league, but that does not disqualify him.

The main thing working against him is going to be competition at the forward position and the fact that there is no way he is getting enough fan votes. With this year’s format potentially being a pick-up game, that further complicates things. Poeltl’s main competition for “bigger” forwards in the East is:

Bam Adebayo (Heat) – Numbers are down but could get fan votes

Giannis (Bucks) – Will likely lead the East in fan votes

Jarrett Allen (Cavs) – With how good Cleveland is playing they will have multiple all-stars

Evan Mobley (Cavs) – Same as above, but it will be either Allen or Mobley, not both

Joel Embiid (76ers) – Still time to get fully healthy and will of course get fan votes

Pascal Siakam (Pacers) – Also having a strong year on a sub .500 team

Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) – Definitely ahead

Nikola Vucevic (Bulls) – Probably in the same boat

That list also does not include more perimeter-oriented forwards like Jayson Tatum (will absolutely make it), Mikal Bridges (should not make it), Jalen Johnson (should make it), and Franz Wagner (should make it). Injured but popular forwards could also end up getting voted in like Paolo Banchero, Jimmy Butler, and Paul George. Considering that each conference is still likely to have just 12 representatives, it is looks to be a long shot for him to make it.

If I had to guess in late November, the 12 players that I think will be selected in the East are:

F – Giannis

F – Towns

F – Mobley

F – Tatum

F – Johnson

F – Wagner

G – Jaylen Brown (Celtics) – Big part of a winning team

G – Tyler Herro (Heat) – Someone should be awarded on a team that is above .500 in the East

G – Donovan Mitchell – Best player on currently the best team

G – Jalen Brunson – Great numbers on a winning team, will get fan votes

G – Cade Cunningham – Season should be recognized as catalyst for not being the worst team

G – Damian Lillard – Good numbers, legacy, and fan votes

I have Poeltl on the outside looking in and this exercise has established how hard it is for players to make an all-star team this year. My list left off fan favorites and legacy guys like Embiid, Banchero (sorta), and George. Really talented guards putting up solid to very good numbers like LaMelo Ball, Darius Garland, Cam Thomas, and Trae Young did not crack the list either.

I do think that if the center position was voted on and there were two slots for each conference, that he would have a legit chance of being named the reserve center. All that said, Poeltl is on a tear of late and as a player who has never been on an all-star team and only close in 2016-2017, per Basketball-Reference, the fact he should be strongly considered this season in a loaded field says a lot about his start to the year.