Don't worry, this isn't another article about Toronto's bench, though their performance has warranted the publicity. Yes, Fred VanVleet does look like Kyle Lowry-lite, C.J. Miles can shoot pretty friggin well, and - to steal from a former article of mine - Pascal Siakam is closer to what Bruno Caboclo was supposed to be than Bruno Caboclo. Collectively, the bench mob has been blowing out their counterparts by 25 points per 100 possessions and we can all agree at this point in the season that Toronto's bench has been great and has outperformed expectations.

This article, though, is about Jakob Poeltl, the bench's unsung hero and an often overlooked part of the team's overall success.

See, part of the reason Jakob has gone unnoticed this season is that everything about his game is unassuming. He can't really dribble all that well, he doesn't shoot threes, nor does he dunk all that often (which historically makes for a pretty lousy highlight reel). Nothing about his game stands out to the casual fan. Even his stat line is mundane.

MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
18.3	3.0	4.7	.640	0.0	0.0	.500	0.7	1.3	.585	4.7	0.7	0.4	1.3	1.0	2.6	6.7

And while this unassuming style can make him a bit boring to watch, it's this same low-key style of play that defines Poeltl's successes on the court.

Poeltl's Prowess

In only his second season in the league, Jakob has mastered some key skills that elevate his team.

Offensively, Poeltl is seemingly never out of position. He has a sixth-sense when it comes to spacing and is excellent at working in space to ensure that the Raptors offence flows smoothly. He knows when to creep along the baseline, when to hang out on the block, when to set a screen, and when to fake a handoff.

Skills like this are overlooked often, but his teammates certainly appreciate his knowledge of the offence. Not only does it benefit them by giving guys like DeMar DeRozan room to operate, but it benefits Poeltl by guaranteeing that he's in a good position to easily score the ball off a dish or an offensive rebound.

And at seven feet tall and 248 pounds, Poeltl's size contributes just as much as his understanding of space when it comes to screening ability. He is legitimately one of the best screeners in the league, garnering nearly three screen assists per game which is the best mark for any Toronto player.

In an interview with Doug Smith, Poeltl showed off his awareness when it comes to screening. "If its a guy like Deebo, I'm really just going up there to get him open... I'm just trying to hold the screen as long as possible because I know if he goes downhill against a big, it's going to be a score more often than not," Poeltl said. With respect to VanVleet or Wright, Poeltl tries "to set a good screen and give them an outlet with a roll."

Even more impressive than this - in my opinion - are Poeltl's hands. This guy's hands are softer than cotton candy and his push shot is just as light. Jak can catch just about any pass in traffic and still manage to finish around the rim, even when he's contested. This quality contributes to Poeltl's high shooting percentage, nearly 72 percent at the rim and 64 percent overall on two-point attempts. His ability to catch the ball and hold on tight forces defences to actually guard him on the roll, again contributing to Toronto's excellent spacing.

But the thing that really sets Poeltl apart from other bigs, and the thing that makes him a useful backup for Jonas Valanciunas, is his mobility. He's not as quick as Siakam in terms of a sprint, but his lateral and backward mobility make him extremely useful on defence as he can better cover the pick-and-roll. JV often gets burnt in the pick-and-roll because he isn't fast enough to switch onto guards so he'll usually hang way back and leave the ballhandler open for an easy jumper. Poeltl, on the other hand, is just fast enough to keep guards at bay and then still contest their shots should they launch a pull-up jimmy.

Poeltl in the Post-Season

It's Poeltl's mobility above all else that'll nab him a solid roll come playoff time.

In previous years the Raptors got burned with JV. His inability to effectively cover the pick-and-roll against teams like the Washington Wizards made him essentially unplayable, though the Raptors didn't really have another option. Against teams that like to play small and run a lot of screen action, Poeltl will be invaluable. He should be able to make up for JV's defensive shortfalls and genuinely help Toronto make a deep run this spring.

He's averaged about 18 minutes per game this season. While most bench rotations tighten in the playoffs, I expect Poeltl to actually a get bit more run should team's try to exploit the Ibaka-Valanciunas frontcourt pairing.

All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com, unless otherwise stated.