Jakob Poeltl would force Suns to consider him as best player available in NBA Draft

LAS VEGAS – Utah center Jakob Poeltl returned for his sophomore season expecting to become a lottery pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and his stock in the recent weeks has proven that a wise choice.

The Austrian 7-foot-1 center currently projects as the sixth overall pick in Draft Express’ mock, suddenly in between the Phoenix Suns’ likely top-5 draft choice, and their top-9 protected pick acquired from Washington in the Markieff Morris trade.

If the Suns share that opinion of Poeltl’s place on a draft board, they would be required to think hard about taking him with that late lottery pick, even if Alex Len’s development and Tyson Chandler’s contract currently fill out the frontcourt.

Any player averaging 17.6 points on 66 percent shooting, 9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks will warrant such attention, and attention is certainly what Poeltl got in the Pac-12 Tournament held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this past week.

Poeltl was turnover-prone while facing three very different defenses focused on stopping him, perhaps a concern until considering the center owned the second-lowest turnover rate of the Utes in the rotation this season.

To open the Pac-12 Tournament, the Utes faced a USC team with enough size to give the 20-year-old a little resistance with the help of double and sometimes triple-teams.

Poeltl went 5-of-7 from the floor but played a big part in a victory with four assists. Three of those went to sophomore forward Kyle Kuzma, who had an 11-of-12 shooting night for 23 points.

“As soon as I saw the double team coming, I just tried to find the open man. I wasn’t trying to force up any shots,” Poeltl said.

Another case in point to show improvement in his offensive awareness: Poeltl’s assist rate doubled since his freshman season.

A mildly distressing observation regarding Poeltl’s draft stock against USC came in how the 242-pound Poeltl handled athletic backup big man Chimezie Metu, who has the athletic tools to develop into an NBA prospect himself.

Metu’s one-dribble from the top of the key and spin move sent Poeltl flying into the backstop before the Trojan freshman finished the play with a dunk.

Metu just Metued! This is the game of the tournament so far on Pac-12 Network!

Watch: https://t.co/YfMNDWLu5w https://t.co/db6w5k2ooc

— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) March 11, 2016

It was a fine example of where Poeltl could stand to improve from a physical standpoint. Poeltl faced a very different defensive look the next night against California. Facing single coverage from 7-footers Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks, Poeltl went for 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting, plus a 9-for-12 run at the foul line.

“Maybe you think he got off to a rough start or it was a little disappointing, but he’s damn near leading the country in field goal percentage,” Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak pointed out. “But the thing as I look at the stat sheet that was huge was the 9-for-12 from the free-throw line. Unlike a year ago, where he was a sub-bar free-throw shooter, that’s been another area that he’s addressed.”

The most indicative move that displayed Poeltl’s impeccable footwork through his 43 minutes of the overtime game came when the big man caught the ball just above the foul line, took one dribble to his left into a jump-stop and pump-faked without traveling before scoring. It showed his comfort making complicated moves in traffic and not panicking when help defense arrives.

“They tried to take away my left shoulder, tried to force me to take some left-handed hooks,” Poeltl said. “But what I did, I just kept believing in myself. I knew I could make those shots.”

In the championship blowout loss against the Ducks, Poeltl became a victim of his teammates’ failed attempts to execute post-entry passes.

Oregon’s matchup zone fronted and double-teamed the Utah center off the ball, and he went 4-of-6 from the field, hit all five free throws but had five turnovers to go with 13 points. More concerning than the lack of scoring; he only grabbed four rebounds against a short and thin frontline. But there are too many positives for a player who ranked in the top-10 nationally in every field goal percentage category, win shares and box score plus-minus.

Poeltl’s old-school low-post game, touch around the basket, ability to finish rim-runs and footwork to get him into solid jumphooks could be negated some when he faces bigger, more athletic players. The lack of a jumper could hinder the breadth of his offensive skillset.

Still, his rebounding ability, plus his headiness on both ends make him the most well-rounded big man in the draft and an enticing prospect once his frame fills out and he’s not being sent into the backstop.

“Poeltl is considered to be the best center in the United States,” USC coach Andy Enfield said before his Trojans faced Poeltl this week. “He’s an exceptional basketball player. But you’re not going to take everything away. You just have to hope.”

Hope is what No. 14 seed Fresno State will need against Poeltl and the No. 3 seed Utes on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

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