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After the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season wrapped up and the Toronto Raptors were eliminated from the 2025 Playoffs presented by Google, Jakob Poeltl expressed confidence in the team’s outlook for the upcoming season and enthusiasm for continuing to collaborate with head coach Darko Rajakovic.
“There are definitely some subtleties that come with experience, like managing the role of an NBA coach and interacting with players,” Poeltl remarked regarding the adaptations made by the 46-year-old Serbian coach. “He’s been stepping back in certain situations to allow players like me or others with more experience to maintain their preferred routines and achieve personal success. It seems like he’s struck a good balance.”
“He knows when to take charge of the team and when to give us a bit of freedom,” he noted during the end-of-season press conference on Monday. “It’s great to watch, and I genuinely appreciate that. I’ve told him as much. Overall, he remains true to himself, and his unique approach is something we value.”
As a player with 617 NBA games under his belt, the 29-year-old Austrian center has established himself as one of the more seasoned members of the Raptors roster, with a contract in place for the 2025-26 season. In 57 games throughout the 2024-25 season, he achieved a career-best average of 14.5 points per game, in addition to recording 8.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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