Toronto enters the 2025 NBA season with an average roster age of just 24.7, making them the ninth-youngest team in the league. For Jakob Poeltl, that youth isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength.
“I think we’ve made really great improvements, especially starting with the beginning of last year—it’s really been a turning point for us. We’ve focused in on that aggressive style of play we want, and this summer we’ve added even more on defence: trying to play fast, disrupt opponents, and set the tone,” Poeltl said. “Our young guys have individually improved a lot, and we’re going to count on that in the future.”
The Raptors’ bench is one of the bigger question marks heading into the season. With a brand-new starting five, players like Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji—who logged heavy minutes last year—now shift into reserve roles. Ninth overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles will also need to fight for rotation time against names like Jamison Battle and Jonathan Mogbo.
Jakob has already seen the impact of that competition in training camp.
“Right now in practice we’re playing against our own teammates—young guys who bring a lot of energy and play our style of basketball, which not a lot of NBA teams do,” Poeltl explained. “I’m curious to see how that translates against opponents who play slower or more traditional styles. But what’s impressed me most is how much everyone has bought in. Nobody’s out there trying to stake their own territory—it’s more about asking, ‘What do you want to do in this situation?’ It’s been cool to see, and it shows how committed everyone is to figuring it out together.”
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