Jakob Poeltl played thirty minutes last night. He has been playing a lot more lately, staying on the court for over twenty six minutes in each of the last four games. I watched him move, and he looks like a person who is capable of jumping at least four inches off the ground again.
It is nice to see a center who remembers how to stand in the right place. Some say his health is returning, and others say he is just tall, which is also a valuable skill in this league. If he stays mobile, the next few years might feel less like a long walk through a parking lot in February.
The Problem With the End of the Game
People are asking why the Knicks are better in the clutch than the Raptors. Brandon Ingram was asked about it, but the answer is usually just that the other team has more points when the clock reaches zero. We used to have Kawhi Leonard for those moments, but that was a long time ago.
Kawhi will retire eventually, and when he does, we will probably just look at photos of that one shot against Philly. It is a strange thing to think about. He came here, he didn't say much, he won a trophy, and then he left to go sit near some palm trees.
Observations From the Sideline
The Minnesota Timberwolves came to town recently. It was a basketball game that happened on a Thursday, which is often the most forgotten day of the week. Jack Armstrong went on the Zach Lowe podcast to talk about things, probably with a glass of something nearby.
I think about the 2007 season sometimes, specifically Rasho Nesterovic. He would also stand in the right place and occasionally shoot a bank shot. The Raptors are in a transition period, but then again, the entire earth is technically in a transition period.
- Jakob is playing more minutes, which is better than him playing fewer minutes.
- The clutch remains a mystery, like how my uncle decides which lane to drive in.
- Kawhi is a memory that we keep in a box under the bed.