5 Bold Predictions For The Toronto Raptors’ 2016-17 Season

Rookie Jakob Poeltl Emerges As Rising Star

This offseason, the Raptors landed Jakob Poeltl in the 2016 NBA Draft. The Utah product was considered by most to be the top center of this year’s crop, so expectations are high for the young big man.

I’m predicting he’ll live up to those expectations — earlier than the Raptors are anticipating.

Poeltl was a mixed bag during NBA Summer League, putting up impressive numbers in one game and slumping the next. Casey already suggested the rookie could spend some time in the D-League (via the Toronto Sun), but that doesn’t mean it’ll last long if it even happens.

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What makes Poeltl such an intriguing prospect is his size, power in the paint and solid shooting abilities. He was drafted as a potential replacement for Bismack Biyombo, but he’s got a long way to go defensively to fill his role effectively. Still, the overall talent and physical tools are there for him to make an impact early and often in 2016-17.

At this point, he’s expected to provide depth at center behind Jonas Valanciunas. However, when all is said and done this season, he could force the Lithuanian big man onto the trading block.