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By Dane Carbaugh



Jakob Poeltl is Utah’s 7-foot-1, 240-pound behemoth with twinkle toes. Projected as a mid- to late-lottery pick it the 2016 NBA Draft, his size, and desire to close holes in his all-around game elevated Poeltl for the Utes, so much so that the Austrian recently took home the Pac 12 Player of the Year Award.



But unlike his brethren at the top of this year’s draft class, Poeltl doesn’t have one shining portion of his game that makes him elite above all others. Instead, Poeltl’s game is broad, effortless and because of that, completely NBA ready.



Let’s take a look at the Utah center’s strengths and weaknesses, as we figure out why NBA GMs want to take him with their top pick, come June.



Offensive Awareness



During his sophomore season, passing was one of Poeltl most useful skills. He significantly increased his assist percentage and showed improvement in vision with both his back to the basket or while facing it.



Part of this was due to play recognition. Jacob showed an NBA level of comfort when it came to recognizable big league actions like drag screens, backdoor cuts, post flex screens, and high-low movement against the zone.



Poeltl’s assists per 100 possessions nearly doubled since his freshman year and his turnover rate was excellent. For comparison, one of the NCAA’s best turnover-to-assist players was Oregon’s Casey Benson. Poeltl turned the ball over just one percent more than Benson per 100 possessions according to Sports-Reference.com.



Along with a sky-high field goal percentage, these factors made Poeltl a much better offensive player than he was in 2014.



His comfort level was also at an all-time high. Unlike other big men in college without a polished back to the basket game, Jacob moved with fluidity on offense for the Utes. Game film showed him moving calmly without becoming aloof without the ball in his hands, even in late-clock situations.



This is to say nothing of the fact that he is a serviceable pick-and-roll player, knows how to find space in the zone, and can run in transition thanks to his light feet.





In the example above, you can see that while Poeltl occupies space on the block, his play recognition is excellent. While the wing drives the baseline, Poeltl exits the block but doesn’t leave entirely, understanding that at 7-foot-1, he’s still the best option around the rim. He’s able to back out and then enter space to finish with his soft hands quite easily.



That’s the kind of offensive skills NBA GMs look for in big men without raw athletic potential or a monster post game.



Size



Poeltl’s size, at 7-foot-1, 240 pounds, is significant. For comparison, there were only 40 players in the NBA listed at 7 feet or taller weighing more than 225 pounds in 2016. Poeltl will instantly be one of the bigger players in the NBA the moment he is drafted.



He is extremely nimble on his feet, gliding around the court rather than stomping. Poeltl didn’t move slow-to-quick like much of his competition. Instead, Poeltl seemed to ease into the movement from a quicker-than-usual gait. He kept moving around the floor on both sides of the ball.



The downside is when Poeltl was matched up with players his same size, he sometimes was pushed around. Poeltl often underestimated the athleticism of his opponent during rebounding opportunities.



This was exacerbated by Poeltl’s measurements. His arms are of average to short length. Poeltl’s 7-foot-1 wingspan puts him near the 10th percentile against players drafted last season. His arms are also a full two inches shorter than the average center drafted in 2015, according to Nylon Calculus.



When Poeltl was in position but matched against a similarly-sized opponent, his best bet was to try to box out for a rebound rather than to out-leap him. Poeltl will only find success in the NBA if he stays hard and fast to this rule down low.



Poeltl is known as a shot blocker in college but it is yet to be determined whether his wingspan can be overcome by timing. He will alter shots in the NBA, but his measurements and statistics don’t say much for him being an elite rim protector early in his career.







In the example above, Poeltl doesn’t block the shot but completely alters it enough to force a miss. Coupled with his quick feet and the NBA’s verticality rule, Poeltl can still be an effective defender against penetrating guards.



Rebounding



One of Poeltl’s strengths in 2016 was rebounding, both in boards grabbed for himself and created for others. This strength was due largely to Poeltl’s consistency and adherence to fundamentals, something evident across multiple facets of his game.



Where players like Kevin Love, Andre Drummond or DeAndre Jordan dazzle the NBA with their own ludicrous rebound totals, Poeltl was more in the vein of Robin Lopez when it came to his effect on the glass for Utah. Thanks to his quick shot recognition, tendency to immediately move into a box out position, and his short arms, Poeltl will create rebound opportunities for teammates rather than himself at the next level.







An example of Poeltl’s usefulness in this regard can be seen above.



Poeltl's positioning, while harder to scout and more nuanced than is typical from a lottery pick, is an NBA-ready skill that makes him extremely useful.



As Poeltl boxes out and ties up big men — the Drummonds and Jordans of the league — a team with a smart rebounding wing or guard will be able to rack up boards at his expense.



Deficiencies



Poeltl’s main deficiency comes from his lack of a polished solo offensive game. He doesn’t have an array of back-to-the-basket post moves, nor does he have a clean elbow jumper or range beyond.



Instead, what he offers is boringly accurate pick-and-roll play, gravity from dives down the lane and a sense of spacing that’s paired well with his grace.



That’s a difficult thing to swallow for fans or for NBA GMs who are looking for a franchise center in the Top 15 rather than a solid role player.



Poeltl is not a dominant shot blocker and is unlikely to pull down league-leading rebounding numbers early in his career. Without being an option on offense in a traditional, post-up sense, it’s going to limit the amount of teams willing to take him high off the draft board.





Conclusion



Poeltl does nothing exceptional but does so many things at an NBA level that it’s going to be difficult to pass on him. Poeltl does too much right to be overlooked or seen as a consolation prize. His size is impressive, his movement constant and smart, and his intangibles are anything but. It’s unlikely he racks up blocks, rebounds or points that wow fans in his first few years in the NBA, but SportVU data is going to absolve him as he alters shots and forces rebounds for teammates.



When looking at Poeltl, he’s well-suited to be another in a long line of under appreciated NBA big men. He could move in the direction of Robin Lopez, altering shots without blocking them, providing a wide roadblock to the paint for opposing guards, and boxing out rebounds for his buddies. Or, he could follow the vein of Mason Plumlee if given the right system, where his vision from the high post and around the arc sees his primary offensive talent outside of rebounding as an assist man.



Poeltl will prove extremely useful for his late-lottery projected teams, and although the top of the upcoming 2016 NBA draft class is loaded, Poeltl represents excellent value.

