Jakob Poeltl describes why players bite on DeMar DeRozan's pump-fakes

Toronto Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl discusses why it helps he's played against the Bulls with the Raptors, what his role is in Toronto's offence and why players always fall for DeMar DeRozan's pump-fakes.

Video Transcript

- Jakob, quite a few guys on this team that have play-in game experience. What are they like?

JAKOB POELTL: I mean, at the end of the day, it's just another basketball game. It has that player feel to it, like, the added intensity. But yeah, like I said, it's just another basketball game. We just got to approach it like we do every other game and try and beat them from the jump.

- The intensity level ratchets up at this time of year. How do you-- how do players summon it to get up to that next level, to be able to play the whole season?

JAKOB POELTL: I mean, it's a mindset. I'd say you just got to figure it out for yourself, whatever you have to do to get yourself 100% ready for that game. Yeah, I'd say it's pretty individual. It's hard to generalize.

- Is it a balance type thing? Like you mentioned, you got to approach it like it's any other game. You can't get too overwhelmed by the moment as well, right?

JAKOB POELTL: I mean, whatever it takes to win that game, I guess. Like, for some guys, they're just going to stick to their routine. Maybe other guys hype themselves up a little extra. I don't know what you might do. For me, I approach it like every other game. Obviously, we're extra locked in on personnel. We're extra locked in on their plays and stuff like. There's a little extra scouting to it.

So for me personally, I'm going to look at my match-ups a little closer as well, to try and get their tendencies down and stuff like that. But yeah, I more or less stick to my routine-- and yeah.

- Jakob, what are you most happy about, the way you've been able to integrate in the 25 or so games that you've been here? What do you think was maybe the hardest adjustment to begin with? And then as things unfolded, has kind of really benefitted really heavily.

JAKOB POELTL: It's tough. I mean, the biggest adjustment for me is probably just the defensive style, going from more passive and safe, trying not to foul and stuff, to an extra aggressive. And I think over time-- I've said this before. I've kind of found my balance, something that works for me that that's on the more aggressive side that fits with the play style of the team.

Other than that, it was just about building chemistry, figuring out the small details because I mean, everybody can play basketball together. We've played together before with most of those guys. That stuff comes pretty quickly. It's the small details, like when to throw what pass and stuff like that you figure out over time.

- Jakob, a focal point for you has always been pick and roll on offense. But has anything else you feel been working out there outside of pick and roll that was-- on the offensive side?

JAKOB POELTL: I mean, for me, I think I more or less adjust my team to whatever-- my game to whatever is available and needed out there on the court. So in San Antonio, I was creating a lot more. I was even playing one-on-one in the post a lot more, stuff like that. Here, the pick and roll has picked up again, I'd say-- and trying to create for myself or for teammates out of the pick and roll.

And then I guess the spacing because we do have a lot of situations where we end up in isolation-- so finding the right spacing, finding the right time to play off of my teammates. Yeah, so I don't think I'd necessarily added anything. It's just more about readjusting what I do out there on the court.

- How far do you think you've come in getting acclimated to the system here since that February 28 game? I think the last time you guys played Chicago was a couple of weeks after the trade. Were you still new at that time, or have you really changed?

JAKOB POELTL: I mean, I can't remember the exact details of that game. For me personally, I felt pretty good in that game. Obviously, there's been improvements in my adjustment to the team, my comfort level, I guess you could say-- yeah. And just having experience playing against Chicago within our system was helped already.

So now, sometimes, we play teams differently here than I'm used to-- than I used to with San Antonio. So then a different tactical scheme might throw me off a little bit, especially early on in the game. So it's definitely helpful that I've played Chicago already with this team, with the way we play them or we want to play them. And I think that's going to help.

- Jakob, you played with DeMar, both here in Toronto. And of course, you guys went to San Antonio together. How would you say his game grew while you guys were in San Antonio?

JAKOB POELTL: I think in my experience, the biggest adjustment he made or the improvements he made was just from a play-making ability because when he was here, it was really Kyle Lowry running the show. And I mean, he was an ISO scorer for us. He was scoring. I mean, he was still dishing out the ball.

But it went to a whole new level when we went to San Antonio because yeah, he was handling the ball a lot more in pick and rolls and stuff like that, not only for his own shot but trying to create for myself or other teammates. So I think that's something that's really stood out to me when we played together in San Antonio.

- We were asking OG about this yesterday. Obviously, they played together during his rookie year. With having more time as you were coming up in the NBA to play with DeMar, how much did he help you as a young defender in the league, just being around somebody that's such a crafty and gifted offensive player?

JAKOB POELTL: I mean, it definitely helps. I'm not matched up with DeMar too often, obviously-- like, those pick and roll situations. But I mean, what you learn from playing against guys like that, you got to stay focused 100% of the time because as soon as you start blacking or one wrong move, he'll catch you. He'll get you a foul, or he'll drive past you. He'll pull up for a jump shot. So you've got to be dialed in at all times. So I think stuff like that is definitely-- when you play against elite scorers like that.

- What do you think makes DeMar's pump fake so effective? I'm sure you've seen it at work 1,000 times.

JAKOB POELTL: Well, I think it's the timing of it. The pump fake is most effective when you get a defender out of position first because then he feels like he needs to catch up with you and then might oversell on a shot contest or something. And so that's really how you get people is when you make them feel like they need to catch up to you. And he does a good job with that, with changing up his rhythm.

And then also like, he might pump fake you two or three times. You can stay down. And he'll still-- a weird rhythm shot that's probably not easy for a lot of people. For him, it's very effective. So you might think you're taking him out of his rhythm because he made a pump fake three times. But he'll still knock that shot down. So that definitely helps, too.