I will give credit where it's due first before coming down with the hammer. Last season showed, and in a small sample the year prior also, that Jakob Poeltl proved absolutely fundamental to this Raptors core flourishing. Why? Because since they got him at the 2023 deadline, he's largely been Toronto's only center and anchoring presence in the paint.
Sure, the Raptors have the luxury of quality defenders like Scottie Barnes in the mix, but without Poeltl, there have been some rough stretches where Toronto gets absolutely mauled on the glass by the opposing team and simply has their way scoring near the rim due to a lack of inside protection.