Fred VanVleet & Pascal Siakam Thrive Alongside Jakob Poeltl as Raptors Narrowly Top Pistons

The Raptors saw Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet feast with extra space in Toronto's supersized lineup to narrowly escape with a victory over the Detroit Pistons

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Jakob Poeltl isn't exactly your typical NBA floor spacer.

For years now the Toronto Raptors have been thirsting for some floor spacing. Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. have all done a more than adequate job nailing three-pointers, but three shooters aren't nearly enough to contend in the modern NBA.

Enter Poeltl.

OK, it's not quite that simple. Toronto's newly acquired 7-foot-1 center has nailed two three-pointers across his 464-game NBA career. But the Raptors are hoping the Austrian big man can open up the offense and provide some extra space in a more unconventional or old school way, if you will.

"I think (Poeltl) can do wonders for the offense from the standpoint of we don't have to rely so heavily on the primary ball handlers to handle so much," Thad Young told AllRaptors. "Those guys getting freed up, they can move around, they can go off on cuts as opposed to trying to create a shot and tiring themselves out throughout the course of the game."

It looked that way Sunday in Poeltl's first start with Toronto since returning to the team, a 119-118 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

The 27-year-old center got things started early, working the pick-and-roll with Fred VanVleet to draw a second defender before flipping a dump-off pass to Scottie Barnes for an inside dunk. When the defense collapsed to defend the Pascal Siakam and Poeltl two-man game, Siakam fired a kick-out pass to Fred VanVleet for three.

VanVleet took advantage of the extra space from Poeltl, snaking his way through the Pistons' defense before using a Poeltl screen to nail a catch-and-shoot three-pointer. The 28-year-old guard had 16 of his game-high 35 points in the first quarter, notching his ninth 30-plus-point game this season.

"I think, one, he's a great screener. Anytime you get two on the ball, you've done your job, especially as a big and then when you roll to even put pressure on the rim which forces the defense to collapse," said Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin following Saturday's practice as he filled in for Nick Nurse who is attending to a personal matter. "Quick decisions, skip passes, hitting the roller, kick out, or hitting the roller finishing is going to help our spacing tremendously."

VanVleet looked right at home beside the big man as if the chemistry they'd formed back in 2018 hadn't disappeared at all. Of his six three-pointers Sunday, four came after some sort of screen from Poeltl.

"It's like he never left," VanVleet said. "Even the plays, I forgot how much we talk."

The fit alongside Precious Achiuwa, however, is a little awkward for now. Achiuwa didn't seem comfortable in the forward spot, struggling with the decisions on the perimeter on both ends of the court. Bojan Bogdanovic gave him all kinds of trouble, zig-zagging his way through screens and putting Achiuwa in awkward spots.

"I know Bogdanovic had 33 points, but Precious did a good job on him for the for the most part and you have to guard him with multiple guys anyway," said Griffin. "But Precious had a couple open looks on the perimeter and I think he was turning them down and I just said ‘listen, like you work hard for those shots. We see you in the gym every day working hard and we trust you.’"

But for Siakam and VanVleet, the extra size on the court was a blessing. Both players found ways to rise up for mid-range jumpers with ease, using screens from Poeltl and Achiuwa to create buckets for themselves. After a hot start from VanVleet, Siakam took over in the second half en route to a 28-point showing as Toronto tried to pull away from Detroit in the third quarter.

"Knowing the plays a little bit better helps. The offence becomes more fluid. Defensive principles are a little easier to understand having walked through it a couple times in practice. That really helped," said Poeltl of his second game with the team since the deadline. "The chemistry with Fred and Pascal, I’m not too worried about. We picked that up right away.”

In typical Raptors fashion, Toronto wouldn't make it easy. The Raptors jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter only to watch it get erased minutes later. Even a 10-0 run early in the third quarter spurred on by VanVleet wouldn't put Detroit away.

Toronto nearly blew it in the fourth, watching another double-digit lead nearly vanish as a Jaden Ivey pulled Detroit to within one possession with a three-pointer in the final 10 seconds. VanVleet and Achiuwa went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final seconds as Toronto barely did enough to win. Ivey's final three, a desperation attempt as the clock expired was of no use in a four-point game.

Poeltl's impact won't show up in the box score Sunday as he finished the game with just six points and five rebounds before ultimately fouling out late. But a plus-11 in 25 minutes showed the kind of impact the big fella should have for Toronto down the stretch.

Up Next: Orlando Magic

The Raptors will continue their homestand Tuesday night when they host the Orlando Magic at 7:30 p.m. ET.