Darko Rajakovic on Jakob Poeltl: “He needs to be part of the solution for us. He needs to be more aggressive. He needs to dominate the glass… He’s going to be a big part of Game 3 and I believe he’s going to perform really well.”
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Jakob Poeltl could start Game 3 on the bench.
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl could start Game 3 of their playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the bench.
The Raptors are down 2-0 to the Cavaliers in their best-of-seven, first-round Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff match, so Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic has some moves to make ahead of Game 3 in Toronto. One of those potential moves could be putting Poeltl on the bench to start the game, while inserting rookie Collin Murray-Boyles into the starting lineup. Through the first two games of this series, the first-year rookie Murray-Boyles has been thoroughly outplaying the 10-year veteran Poeltl, so if the Raptors want to shake up their starting lineup, then this could be the move to make.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Game 3, Rajakovic would not commit to a starting center yet, admitting that he still has to think about his decision.
Rajakovic wouldn't commit to a starting C for tomorrow's Game 3. "I don't know. I've got a lot of time to think about that." https://t.co/HNOt0pquKG
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 22, 2026
“I don’t know. I’ve got a lot of time to think about that,” Rajakovic said of who will start at center in Game 3 (via TSN Raptors beat reporter Josh Lewenberg).
In addition to admitting he doesn’t know who he will start Game 3 at the center position, coach Rajakovic was critical of Poeltl’s performance through the first two games of the playoffs, though he expressed optimism that the veteran center can turn things around.
Darko Rajakovic on Jakob Poeltl: “He needs to be part of the solution for us. He needs to be more aggressive. He needs to dominate the glass… He’s going to be a big part of Game 3 and I believe he’s going to perform really well.”
“He needs to be part of the solution for us. He needs to be more aggressive. He needs to dominate the glass… He’s going to be a big part of Game 3, and I believe he’s going to perform really well,” Rajakovic said.
In Game 1 of the series, Poeltl played 21 minutes, scoring 4 points and adding 6 rebounds. In Game 2, he played only 9 minutes, scoring just 2 points with just 4 rebounds. Murray-Boyles, meanwhile, played 20 minutes in Game 1, scoring 14 points and 4 rebounds, and he excelled in Game 2, with 17 points and 7 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.
With the Raptors down 2-0 in the series, they simply cannot afford to lose Game 3 if they are going to pull off a major upset over the Cavaliers. That’s why Rajakovic needs to consider starting Murray-Boyles at center instead of Poeltl.
The Raptors gave Poeltl a four-year, $104 million contract in July 2025. At the time, it was seen as a market-value contract for a starting center in the NBA. However, Poeltl underperformed this season, playing just 46 games due to injuries while averaging 10.7 points per game and 7 rebounds per game. Those numbers are underwhelming for a starting center, especially one who is due to make $104 million over the next four years.
This offseason, the Raptors may need to consider moving off the Poeltl contract, especially if they think that Murray-Boyles is ready to be a starting center in the NBA. Based on Poeltl’s play this season and during the playoffs, he seems like more of a bench player, but he is being paid as a starter. For a team that could be hard up against the salary cap this offseason, moving off Poeltl may be the move to make, although the Raptors may need to attach multiple draft picks to get another team to take on his bloated contract.
Adam Martin Adam Martin is a sports journalist with over 15 years of experience. He has a speciality in MMA, while also covering the Big 4 Sports. Adam is currently a contributor to Heavy.com, with previous experience working for The Toronto Star, Sportsnet, theScore, Bookies, BJPenn.com, and MMAOddsbreaker.com. More about Adam Martin
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