Jakob Poeltl will miss at least another week with a back injury
There’s a lot to celebrate in The 6 this season. Brandon Ingram and Scotty Barnes form a power duo, young players like Collin Murray-Boyles and Jamal Sheed are making valuable contributions off the bench, and the team is just a game out of third place in the Eastern Conference. After several difficult years, Toronto Raptors (19-14) are coming into their own. However, not everything is rosy. Jakob Poeltl stays out with back injury.
Veterans Center he will miss at least another week shares, according to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel. He will be re-evaluated at that point, leaving the team and fan base in limbo for now. Poeltl has already missed time with the problem and hasn’t played since December 21.
The Raptors began a five-game homestand overtime win against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, and will now have to wait until sometime in 2026 before teaming up with the Austrian big man again. Poeltl is averaging 9.7 points on 69.3 percent shooting (all two-pointers) with 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this season.
Neither the production nor the availability is what fans want from someone who signed a four-year, $104 million deal last summer. Still, he’s valuable to Toronto. Poeltl offers the team a solid interior presence that is otherwise lacking in the frontcourt. The Raptors will be cautious, however, because they know the damage that can be done if we rush him back.
Here’s hoping Jakob Poeltl makes huge progress in the next week of recovery and gets some good news in January. Sandro Mamukelašvili is trying to hold the fort in his absence. Toronto faces the Orlando Magic (18-14) on Monday, starting around 7:30 PM ET.
2025-12-29 22:52:00
