By Tom Orsborn San Antonio Express-News Sat., Aug. 18, 2018 SAN ANTONIO—New Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl proved during his first two seasons in the NBA that he has a knack for doing yeoman’s work. Whether setting screens, grabbing offensive rebounds or protecting the rim, Poeltl performed those unsung duties enthusiastically for the Toronto Raptors. “I am not too proud to do the dirty work,” the seven-foot, 248-pound Austrian said at the Spurs practice facility as the club introduced Poeltl to the local media for the first time since a blockbuster trade featuring DeMar DeRozan and Kawhi Leonard. “That’s how I have been for my whole basketball career — getting the work done.” But in averaging 6.9 points per game last season (13.4 per 36 minutes) he also showed he has the potential to become something more than a role player. “I do a lot of the little things out there, like just setting good screens, being in the right places, making the right reads off my teammates,” Poeltl said. “That’s my role right now, and I really enjoy that. But I am working on my game every single day in practice, and I am trying to develop more offensively and defensively so I can take on more responsibilities in the future.” Article Continued Below Poeltl has been working out with many of his new teammates since the July 18 deal. “There is at least, for me so far, a natural chemistry,” Poeltl said. “I am getting along with everybody… [Read full story]
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