Happy birthday to Jakob Poeltl

This is a nice photo.

Guards Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker IV along with forwards Keldon Johnson and Rudy Gay. And anchoring at center is Jakob Poeltl.

Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

A number of these highlights involved these teammates:

Along with that group of five, he could be on the verge of a big swing depending on how the youth movement develops in the offseason. Gelling with his team is paramount to the kind of season Poeltl will have in 2020-2021.

Poeltl had a good year with the Spurs. His scoring went down a little over a point per game, but he trended up slightly in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. There is definitely room to grow.

This may not be the year to start fresh with another team, or perhaps that is just hopeful wishing. It would be great to get him back, but at the same time, the Spurs don’t have a lot of cap room to negotiate. If Poeltl stays another season, it will be because he wants to stay.

Choosing to take a Spurs-friendly contract will be more telling than anything. How he feels about his personal growth, where he sees the Spurs in a year, and where he wants to be are all on the table as players start to look toward free agency.

But for now, #25 is a Spur. And today, he is 25. So maybe there’s a good omen in that.

Happy birthday, Jakob.

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