Point guard Immanuel Quickley and center Jakob Poeltl had limited playing time together last season.
Over the summer, the two Toronto Raptors players tried to get more in tune.
“He’s got a really sharp basketball mind,” said Quickley, who said he texts the 7-foot Austrian almost every day. “I’m just trying to see how he thinks and where he likes to have the ball.”
Quickley and Ontario’s RJ Barrett were traded from the Knicks to Toronto on Dec. 30, while OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn went the other way.
Quickley then began to play more often as the playmaker, partnering with Poeltl on screen-related sequences.
They only played 18 games together before Poeltl dislocated the little finger on his left hand.
“We talked about what would be the best way to build chemistry as quickly as possible,” Poeltl said. “It wasn’t bad at all last season, it came pretty naturally. Now it’s about working on the nuances.”
During the offseason, they had the opportunity during two Raptors mini-camps, in Miami and Spain.
“There were times after practice where it was just the two of us and a couple of assistants,” Poelt said. “That’s the key: spending time together on the field. You notice this and that and you learn more about the other guy. And as time goes on, it gets better and better.”
Quickley added: “He’s going to get a lot of his points off short passes, often with a jumper. He’s got a nice touch around the basket. I just have to be aware of where guys like to have the ball. That way I can see how I can help them be successful.”
The Raptors are practicing in Montreal this week, preparing for an exhibition game Sunday night at the Bell Centre against the Washington Wizards.
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