Welcome Razzball Nation to the week-before-trade-deadline edition of Underperformer of the Week.
With the way the landscape of the NBA is currently constructed, there are many teams straddling the fence of buyer/seller. There are many middling type teams in the mix with only two or three teams looking solid enough in the top of their respective standings to remain pat through the deadline. Near the bottom of the league are teams that clearly do not have postseason aspirations such as the Rockets, Pistons, Magic and Hornets. However, one team seems to be tanking egregiously for their Wembanyama lottery balls, and for that, we head down to the lone star state for a closer look.
Jakob Poeltl
The big man in San Antonio is on an expiring contract and all indications suggest that his days in a Spurs uniform are numbered. Last season, Jakob made big strides in his game finishing the season as the 98th player overall on Yahoo behind averages of:
61.8% FG, 49.5% FT, 13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.7 blocks.
Over the course of this season, we have seen Jakob’s game stall and, in some areas regress, which is disappointing, as I believe he can be better than what he has been this year. Over the past week, Poeltl has been the 184th ranked player with averages of:
46.2% FG, 60% FT, 7.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.3 steals and 1.0 blocks.
At first glance, the glaring reason for the drop in his production and rank is the field goal percentage being in the mid-40s for a player with 60% potential. We are also seeing the usage and minutes dip, which further impacts his scoring and playmaking ability thus pulling the chair out on his value. In addition, where are the blocks?
The blocks have seemingly disappeared, but I believe it is due to the decreased role and there is significant room for that number to come up, which can be especially useful for a category that is scarce by nature.
It is clear that the Spurs do not see him as a cornerstone of their core moving forward and a change of scenery may do wonders for his value, as any team trading for him would be doing so with the intention of maximizing his skill set.
So here we are, about one week away from the deadline, which provides the perfect opportunity for you to get a trade done for Poeltl before he moves to a possibly more fruitful situation. It should not cost you much to get something done and you should look at this as a low risk/high reward scenario.
As always, your team build needs to be considered, as his lack of threes and free throw percentage may not fit your current construct. If you need blocks and field goal with out-of-position assists, then Poeltl is the type of player who could improve your squad if/when he is traded. Send out some offers prior to the deadline, as his current manager may be less willing if Poeltl finds himself in a position that now boosts his value through a better situation.
Hit me up below in the comments and leave your thoughts and questions for us to discuss.
Good luck out there,
Peace.
