Raptors Starters Show Their Value in Reluctant Victory Over Wizards

Jakob Poeltl had done his job.

That job has become a strange one in Toronto. The Raptors want their best players to perform, but not quite enough to win. Development is the priority at this stage of the season, but the organization also has an eye on improving its lottery odds. Poeltl understands the balance.

He was rested Sunday against the Spurs and will likely sit again Wednesday against the Nets. But on Monday night, he suited up and did what he does best: help the Raptors win basketball games.

A couple of floaters, strong screens to free up Immanuel Quickley, and Poeltl’s usual interior presence helped Toronto build an eight-point lead in the third quarter. Then came a Wizards timeout and a full Raptors lineup change.

Out went Poeltl, Quickley, and Scottie Barnes. In came a bench unit, tasked unofficially with keeping things close but not pulling away.

For a moment, it worked. A 10-0 Washington run out of the timeout put the the Wizards back in front. But it didn’t last.

The starters returned in the fourth, regained the lead, and a pair of three-pointers from Jamison Battle gave Toronto just enough separation. The Raptors never looked back, clinching a 112-102 victory that moved Toronto two wins ahead of the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers for the fifth-worst record in the NBA.

If losing is the goal, Poeltl is the problem.

The Austrian center has been Toronto’s most irreplaceable player over the past two seasons, and he showed it again on Monday. His floater was nearly automatic, and his impact on both ends of the floor was clear. He finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and a plus-nine in just under 26 minutes, more than enough to guide Toronto to a reluctant win over Washington.

If the Raptors want to lose these games, they will have to try harder.

Barnes did not look quite right in his 28 minutes, but even a below-average outing from him made a difference against a team as poor as Washington. Quickley returned from his night off with 21 points and seven assists in 26 minutes.

With a soft schedule the rest of the way, it will be difficult for the Raptors to rack up losses without making a real effort to limit their top contributors. They have dabbled in it, but if they are serious about moving up the lottery board, they will need to get just as uncomfortable as the rest of the tanking teams with their eyes on Cooper Flagg and the top prospects in this year’s draft.

Up Next: Brooklyn Nets

The Raptors will continue their road trip with a big one Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET.