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NBA Draft Grades: Toronto Raptors Do Nothing To Fill Roster Holes

By Justin Rowan

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jakob Poeltl (Utah) walks off stage after being selected as the number nine overall pick to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jakob Poeltl (Utah) walks off stage after being selected as the number nine overall pick to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jakob Poeltl (Utah) puts on a team cap after being selected as the number nine overall pick to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jakob Poeltl (Utah) puts on a team cap after being selected as the number nine overall pick to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

9th pick – Jakob Poeltl

At the ninth pick in the draft the Raptors selected Jakob Poeltl. Poeltl is probably the best center prospect in the draft and is a player that is as close to bust-proof as it gets, but it comes in exchange for a lack of high-end upside.

Poeltl is very much a traditional center. He has the potential to be a defensive force on the inside, along with the ability to move his feet on the perimeter. He doesn’t really possess much of an outside shot, but can put the ball on the floor and knife his way to the rim.

He has great hands, a high basketball IQ and finishes well around the basket. He also has great vision as a passer and quickly recognizes double teams. He also possess the one thing that you can’t teach, and that’s size at 7’1.

Poeltl was the PAC-12 Player of the Year, averaging 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks per game on 64.6 percent shooting.

He does lack some strength and struggled in college against athletic and long defenders, something he will see plenty of in the NBA. His hands and athleticism will help him be productive, but he’ll need to add some weight before he can truly make a big impact on the next level.

He is by definition a traditional center, a player that is having less and less of a role in the modern NBA. But if he can become a true defensive stopper and his passing holds up he can find a place in the league, similar to someone like Andrew Bogut.

The first thing that jumps out is the redundancy of a traditional center when the Raptors already have Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas just signed a contract extension and is very much a cornerstone of what the Raptors are doing, so to use the ninth overall pick on a player destined to be a backup doesn’t seem like the best allocation of resources.

On the other hand, there weren’t a ton of players available at that point that fit the Raptors’ needs, so going with a relatively safe pick isn’t the worst thing in the world.

Grade: B

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