TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors succumbed to a second loss on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers to go down 0-2 in the first-round playoff series. Even if the Cavaliers were favored, many across border lines expected Toronto to at least make this series competitive. Yet, Game 3 is already a must-win for the Raptors. Teams holding a 3-0 lead, a lead the Cavs could take on Friday, are a perfect 159-0. Their season is on the line. Desperate times call for desperate measures, which means tough decisions have to be made by Coach Darko Rajaković. The Raptors will need to bench Jakob Poeltl.
Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl Is A $104 Million Disaster, He’s Getting Benched Soon
A Costly Commitment Under Fire
New Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster, a long-time Masai Ujiri lieutenant, re-signed the Vienna native to a four-year, $104 million extension as his first move at the helm last summer. The deal includes a partially guaranteed final year in the 2029–30 season. If you follow the numbers, you will notice that the contract has not even started. This contract ranks as one of the worst in a league that now operates with caution. The front office may ask and answer tough questions this summer about Yak’s future. In the meantime, the coaching staff could bench him by Game 3.
Playoff Struggles Becoming Impossible To Ignore
Against Cleveland, Poeltl is averaging 3 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block in 15 minutes of action per game. His performance in Game 1 lacked the necessary punch, finishing with just four points (1-for-2 from the field), six rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal in just over 21 minutes as a starter. No matter how you try to slice it, Poeltl going into halftime with zero points and only three rebounds to show for his efforts was completely unacceptable.
It went from bad to worse in Game 2. Poeltl’s inability to space the floor has compounded his offensive woes. Arguably, he has been worse on the defensive end despite his three stocks so far. He looks flat-footed going up against the mobile frontcourt pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The Cavs have turned the Raptors’ primary rim protector into a liability on switches.
A Shift Toward Mobility and Versatility
As a result, Darko made the bold decision to bench Jakob Poeltl for the second half. Toronto instead leaned heavily on Sandro Mamukelashvili off the bench. He is on a mid-level exception so earns a fraction of Poeltl’s deal. Mamu delivered 12 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes. Even more worryingly, Collin Murray-Boyles outplayed him on both ends despite being undersized. CMB finished Game 2 with 17 points, 7 rebounds (2 offensive), 1 block, and 1 steal. Not bad for the rookie out of South Carolina.
Moving forward in the postseason, the responsibility lies with Darko and the Raptors coaching staff to make an important call regarding Jakob Poeltl. His benching throughout the second half suggests change is coming.
“Some of their lineups featured a lot of high-level shooting, so we wanted to switch more consistently. That was the main adjustment—being able to switch in pick-and-roll situations. Colin gave us a better matchup in those scenarios,” Darko said about benching Poeltl in the second half for CMB in the postgame presser. “Absolutely. We were locked in, we were disruptive. I thought we did a really good job staying aggressive and playing to our identity,” he added about Murray-Boyles’ inclusion in the lineup giving them the defensive identity they want.
These comments subtly hint at a potential lineup shift. Emphasizing switching versatility and matchup advantages suggests a preference for more mobile, defensively flexible personnel—something Murray-Boyles provides. That will come at the expense of Jakob Poeltl. His traditional center profile and recent rim-protecting decline are less suited to heavy switching schemes. Do not be surprised by a bold starting lineup change when the Raptors’ numbers are called at Scotiabank Arena.
Credit:© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
