Jakob Poeltl is at the center of the Spurs’ half-court show

An offense lacking in high-level on-ball creation has turned to its non-shooting center to grease the gears and create off-ball looks

This time last year, Jakob Poeltl’s immediate future in San Antonio felt up in the air. The big man who’d arrived in 2018 as an accessory to the Kawhi Leonard trade was entering restricted free agency, with no certainty around the team’s willingness to match any exorbitant offer sheets he may sign. Centers, especially traditional non-floor spacers like Poeltl, have become the running backs in the NBA, a position that’s seen its value decrease as front offices reallocate resources and plug roster holes with bargain contracts. Combine that with Poeltl’s suboptimal fit alongside LaMarcus Aldridge, and it was fair to wonder if an opportunistic suitor might pry him away.