Raptors Share Health Update for Jakob Poeltl

The Toronto Raptors say Jakob Poeltl is progressing well and should return to the court very very soon

Jakob Poeltl appears to be nearing a return.

The 7-foot center has begun doing on-court work during practice as he works his way back from an ankle sprain, Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said Monday.

“He's progressing well,” Rajaković said. “He's, according to the plan, progressing with the loads and what he’s allowed to do. He's not available for the game tonight, but he's progressing well, and we're hoping to see him playing very, very soon.”

Poeltl has been out since January 7 when he stepped awkwardly on Pascal Siakam’s foot during a game against the Golden State Warriors. He played through the injury during the game but was subsequently ruled out indefinitely with the injury.

Toronto will have a few days off following Monday’s game before taking on the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. It sounds like Poeltl may be back as early as later this week, though his exact timeline has yet to be announced.

The Raptors certainly need Poeltl back in the lineup as they’ve been the NBA’s second-worst rebounding team since Poeltl’s injury. The team also has the fifth-worst defensive rating over the stretch, surrendering 121.3 points per 100 possessions since January 8.

When Poeltl returns, he’s slide back into the starting lineup for the Raptors and move Jontay Porter to the bench where he should continue to see playing time for Toronto. Porter has looked solid over the past 10 games and appears to be someone the Raptors could use as a bench big in the future.