Did Jakob Poeltl Play Tonight? Why Raptors’ Center Scored 0 Points

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 25: Jakob Poeltl #19 of the Toronto Raptors and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves compete for the rebound in the first quarter during the home opener at Target Center on October 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) GettyThe Toronto Raptors lost in blowout fashion to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.Things got off to a bad start before the ball was even tossed, because the Raptors learned soon before the game that they’d have to play without Kawhi Leonard.But it’s not like Toronto put up much of a fight once the game began, either. Two of their five starters were held scoreless.One of those was Scottie Barnes, an incredible shock you can read more about here.The other was Jakob Poeltl, the experienced center. He didn’t score for the entirety of Sunday’s game.Did Jakob Poeltl Play Tonight?Yes, Jakob Poeltl was active, healthy and on the floor for the Raptors on Sunday night.Despite that, he didn’t score a single point.The Raptors have continued to use Poeltl in the starting lineup over the likes of Collin Murray-Boyles and Trayce Jackson-Davis, but it’s not working out for Toronto at the moment.Jakob Poeltl StatsPoeltl ended up playing 19 minutes in Sunday’s game for the Raptors.Despite that, he didn’t score.Poeltl only attempted two field goals and missed them both.He also had just one rebound.Poeltel turned the ball over once and was a minus-18.It’s actually astounding that he attempted two shots, didn’t score and grabbed just one rebound with no defensive stats in 19 minutes.Why Jakob Poeltl Scored 0 PointsThe most obvious reality for Poeltl is that he hardly shot. Just two shot attempts in 19 minutes, and not making it to the foul line, really limits the offensive upside.Poeltl isn’t meant to lead the Raptors’ offense, but that’s still a really tough showing.The other obvious point is that the Timberwolves start Rudy Gobert at center. Even as he ages, Gobert remains one of the top defenders of this generation. Against a slower and plodding center like Poeltl, one who doesn’t shoot it from the outside, Gobert is well-equipped to dominate.Poeltl is never going to score a lot of points, but any night he faces a center like Gobert will be even tougher.The Raptors had won their first two games of the season, so now they’ve fallen to 2-1 while the Wolves move to 3-0.For Toronto to bounce back the next time out, they’ll need a bit more scoring and rebounding production from the center position.This article was originally published on HEAVYThe post Did Jakob Poeltl Play Tonight? Why Raptors’ Center Scored 0 Points appeared first on HEAVY.