TORONTO – Leave it to the 2022-23 Toronto Raptors to spoil Jakob Poeltl’s homecoming.
“It’s not acceptable by our standards,” said Fred VanVleet, who played most of the fourth quarter with five fouls and shot an air ball on a crucial jumper inside the final minute of the 122-116 loss. Poeltl, whose name was in the rumour mill leading up to the deadline, has since admitted that he was a bit distracted during a 112-98 loss to his former and – as it would turn out – future team. Shortly after, he found that the Raptors were acquiring him for Khem Birch, a protected first-round pick in 2024 and two second-round picks.
Clearly, Utah wasn’t deterred by anybody at or around the rim on Friday, whether it was Poeltl, Precious Achiuwa, whomever. In fairness to Poeltl, who only played the first four minutes of the team’s fourth-quarter collapse, he had just arrived and was learning Nick Nurse’s system on the fly. During the summer of 2018, he and DeMar DeRozan were sent to San Antonio in the deal that brought Kawhi Leonard to Toronto. At the time, the Spurs asked for Siakam, in addition to DeRozan and a first-round pick. The Raptors refused, and then they eventually settled on Poeltl. But they never wanted to trade him, and while the deal worked out pretty well for them – they have a championship to show for it – his absence was felt in the years to come.
JLew1050 Not surprised at all