Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl out indefinitely with left ankle sprain
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl will be out indefinitely after suffering a sprained left ankle, the team announced Tuesday. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
What happened: Poeltl sustained his injury in the third quarter of Toronto’s 133-118 win in Golden State on Jan. 7.
Poeltl’s impact: This season, Poeltl is averaging 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game and has scored in double figures in 22 of his 36 games this season. Poeltl has helped Toronto emerge as a strong team on the interior this season as they rank 10th in rebounds per game and 7th in points in the paint. However, the Raptors have been weak overall on defense, ranking 18th in Defensive Rating and blocks per game and 15th in defensive rebound percentage.
Poeltl is the sole center in the playing rotation this season and his absence will likely be felt in many ways by Toronto. The Raptors could turn to 6-foot-9 shot-blocking forward Chris Boucher to help protect the paint or any of its many other forwards who are in a similar height range.
Toronto is in the midst of a six-game road trip and has three games left on the trek: tonight vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, Jan. 10 vs. the LA Clippers and Jan. 12 vs. the Utah Jazz. After that, the Raptors play five of their next six games at home.
He will be re-evaluated in two weeks, and his condition will then be updated as appropriate.
Toronto is in Los Angeles for back-to-back games against the Lakers on Tuesday and the Clippers on Wednesday.
Poeltl is averaging 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and a team high-tying 1.4 blocks.
He’s averaged 26.5 minutes in 36 games this season, all of them starts.
The 28-year-old Poeltl has scored in double figures 22 times and recorded 13 double-doubles.
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