Toronto Raptors: Jakob Poeltl stands out as a force in NBA Summer League

While the Toronto Raptors are in no shortage of big men, Jakob Poeltl proved to be a force during NBA Summer League.

The Toronto Raptors may have a predicament regarding their talent at center heading into the 2017-18 regular season, especially after Jakob Poeltl essentially dominated NBA Summer League.

An interesting article from HoopsHabit‘s own Maxwell Ogden recently focused precisely on a related issue — the expendability of Jonas Valanciunas.

Poeltl was selected by the Raptors in the first round as the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He saw very limited minutes in his rookie season, averaging just 11.6 per game over 54 appearances on the season.

However, his performances during the Summer League turned some heads.

Big man with big numbers

During the first three games, he was as efficient scoring as he was grabbing rebounds — hardly a challenge for the seven-foot tall Austrian native out of Utah University.

He logged three consecutive double-doubles as the Raptors won three straight. During the first two games, he shot for 75 percent from the field.

In the third game against the Denver Nuggets, he had his best scoring performance with 17 points while shooting over 60 percent from the field.

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One stat that should not be overlooked is that over these three games, he only had three turnovers. He had committed zero turnovers in his best performance.

While the Toronto Raptors took their first loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in their fourth game, Poeltl had yet another solid game. He shot 4-for-5 from the field and clocked in a 31-minute performance, which led the team in playing time. He finished the night with 10 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block.

While the Toronto Raptors have gotten a much better look at Poeltl during Summer League, this should not be blown of as a fluke. His performance throughout thus far should earn him some decent playing time through the regular season.

He looks comfortable on defense and exhibits solid hustle up and down the court for his size. He is quick on his feet and positions himself well in the paint for rebounds and making space for teammates to drive to the hoop.

The Raptors are already stocked with four players at the center position on their roster, but Poeltl is making a case for tough competition in a fight for playing time with Justin Hamilton and Lucas Noguiera.

Current speculation in some circles suggest that Valanciunas may be of better value on the market than remaining on the Raptors for the next two years. He is due roughly $34 million in that time.

Whatever the case may be, as a whole the Raptors’ talent pool in Summer League appeared solid.

As for Jakob Poeltl, he seems ready to take the next step in earning opportunities during the regular season, where the games truly count.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Jakob Poeltl performed well during NBA Summer League and will look to carry this momentum over to training camp in the coming weeks.