The tao of Voskuhl
Jake Voskuhl sits with his teammates, watching the game attentively. His hands are clasped together. His feet are planted firmly on the floor of the Air Canada Centre. When his Toronto Raptor teammates make a big play, he jumps up and applauds enthusiastically; and when a timeout is called, he’s right there in the huddle. Voskuhl spends most of the game on the bench.
However, he anticipates the moment when head coach Jay Triano puts him on the court. He’s not the “go-to” guy, plays a small portion of minutes, rarely registers a point or two, and there’s very few people (if any) who have bought his #77 Raptors jersey; but there’s something the 6’11” centre provides, even though it might not receive attention in a game recap.
Voskuhl, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, played college ball with the University of Connecticut and was the starting centre when the Huskies won the NCAA championship in 1999. Originally drafted 33rd overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2000, Voskuhl would ultimately be traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he spent the majority of his NBA career thus far. His best season was 2003-04 when he appeared in 66 games for the Suns (43 as a starter) and averaged a career-high 5.2 rebounds and 6.6 points per game. He’s also played for Charlotte and Milwaukee before signing with the Raptors in December, 2008.
Obviously, Voskuhl isn’t one of Toronto’s top scorers, nor is he the team’s franchise player. Therefore, his role is significantly different compared to Chris Bosh or Jose Calderon. Raptors radio analyst Eric Smith describes Voskuhl as a big man who understands his role and accepts it.
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“He knows he’s not going to play 20-plus minutes each night and might not play for two or three straight games,” says Smith.”But he’s got to be ready to play at a moment’s notice. When he’s on the floor, he has to play tough; play hard. He’s a veteran leader, which is great for overall team morale because of his positive attitude.”
Since joining the Raptors, Voskuhl has played an average of seven minutes per game, scoring at least one point and grabbing two rebounds. One of his best performances for Toronto was on Jan. 2 against Houston when he played for 18 minutes, picking up three points and eight rebounds. But scoring isn’t Voskuhl’s main responsibility and Raptors fans, who were initially not sure of what to expect from him, are comfortable with that.
“When they [the Raptors] got him, there was disappointment from the fan-base,” explains James Borbath, publisher and writer of Dino Nation Blog, part of TheScore.com’s Sports Federation network. “When the fans figured out what Jake does, they were happy. He’s a tough guy who’s not afraid to get a foul.”
Borbath highlights Voskuhl’s aggressiveness – something the Raptors have lacked this season – comparing him to an enforcer in hockey. This notion is supported by Voskuhl’s statistics. During his first 18 games with the Raptors, Voskuhl has attained an average of two personal fouls per game. In one particular match (Dec. 29 vs. Golden State), he only played five minutes, but picked up four fouls. But the majority of his fouls are not committed by mistake. They’re hard fouls – done to send a message and shake up the opponent’s confidence.
Despite his fierce style of play, Voskuhl is good tempered and respectful.
“He gets along with his teammates and is a very quiet, down-to-earth, easy-to-approach man,” Smith points out.”His sometimes ‘rough’ demeanor on the floor [the hard fouls, etc] is a total contrast to who/what he is off the floor.”
It’s unclear as to how long Voskuhl’s tenure with the Raptors will be. Although it is too early to consider next year’s team, Smith believes (with no disrespect) that Voskuhl is one of the last players GM Bryan Colangelo needs to worry about when putting together the roster. In addition, Borbath suggests that rookie centre Nathan Jawai is being groomed to possibly take over Voskuhl’s on-court role. Regardless of whether he will continue to wear a Raptors uniform or not, Voskuhl’s time with Toronto has been a positive experience.
“He was at home doing nothing,” says Borbath. “Now, he’s on a roster and 29 teams remember his name. This has re-opened his career path and he’ll probably find another team if he’s let go by the Raptors.”
While he may not receive as much notice as some of his teammates, Jake Voskuhl provides a strong veteran presence. His aggressive play and encouraging attitude shown on the bench makes him a role model for Toronto’s younger players.
Voskuhl’s contribution to the Raptors may be small, but his actions are inspiring.
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