Jakob Poeltl shares insight on how his back injury affected him

“It wasn’t easy, I tried to stay positive through tough times. Did some work with our mental health team. Those times weren’t easy for me because I didn’t have a clear timeline. I would’ve liked to play more this season, it’s something I’ll have to continue working on the rest of my career” said Poeltl on how the injury affected his mental health.

“It felt good, early on it was more of an issue, but at the end it was fine,” is what the Utah product concluded with on how his back was holding up during the playoffs.

Poeltl played in 57 games during the 2024-25 season and only missed 11 more games this year, but his minutes dipped from 29.6 to 25. All of his key stats, like points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, dropped significantly, but he shot above 60 percent from the free-throw line for the second time in his career, marking two consecutive years above that mark.

Poeltl’s massive four-year $104 million extension will kick in next season, and the fans, front office and coaching staff will all hope a long offseason can help get his back feeling right and playing the way he did just a season ago.