Right man, wrong time: Rajakovic's positivity carries Raptors through adversity

TORONTO — Many fans are describing the Toronto Raptors' 2023-24 season as tumultuous, even chaotic, with a series of trades that significantly changed the roster, followed by numerous injuries and other issues that directly contributed to a 15-game losing streak.

But what head coach Darko Rajakovic remembers from this losing season is how the team came together.

“We've been dealt some pretty tough cards this season and it's been easy to point fingers and say it's his fault, my fault, his fault, his fault and I think we as an organization, every part of the organization came together and we realized what. went through,” Rajakovic said at his season-ending press conference on Tuesday. “We understand that the only way to build is to do it, to be on the same page and to be together.”

Rajakovic was introduced as Toronto's new head coach on June 13, with team president Masai Ujiri stressing that it was his mandate to change the culture of the Raptors in an outdoor news conference.

The culture has changed over the seasons. Toronto traded OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa to the New York Knicks for Immanuel Quickley and Mississauga State's RJ Barrett on Dec. 30, then made a blockbuster move to send All-Star Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 17. Bringing Kelly Olympique of Kamloops, BC and Ochai Agbaji to the Raptors, who signed with the Utah Jazz on February 8.

The injury bug hit hard in March when star forward Scotty Barnes (broken hand) and starting center Jacob Poeltl (torn ligament) missed the rest of the season. Other injuries decimated the Raptors' depth, and both Barrett and Quickley missed time to mourn the loss of loved ones. Backup center Jontari Porter was also placed on the inactive list as the NBA began an investigation into illegal betting on his game.

All those absences led to the second-worst 15-game losing streak in team history, and Toronto (25-57) has lost 19 of its last 21 games of the season.

A tough way to end Rajakovic's first season as an NBA head coach.

“If you had asked me about this 12 months ago when I was interviewing for the job, I would not have predicted what would have come our way. If you asked Phil Jackson (a great NBA coach), he would tell you the same thing. “said Rayakovic with a smile. “It's been a season full of a lot of challenges, a lot of changes, a lot of things happening on the field, a lot of trades and changes, and things off the court that we can't control.

“But at the same time, it was a great opportunity to learn, to see how people react in these situations, to see how everyone is resilient in the process and how everyone came together.”

Although Rajakovic credits the entire organization with holding it together through adversity, his players said his positivity brought the team together.

Barnes said Rajakovic called her for the first time on March 4 after undergoing surgery to repair a broken arm.

“He's there for me. “He helps me no matter what,” Barnes said. “He always tells me how to learn, how to improve. He loves me and takes care of us.''

Barrett said that he began to develop a relationship with Radjakovic as soon as he joined the Raptors.

“I became close with Darko. He's honestly a coach you can talk to about anything,” said Barrett, whose younger brother, Nathan, died March 12. “A lot of our conversations sometimes have nothing to do with him. basketball.

“He checks on me a lot, of course. I appreciate him not only for the game of basketball.”

Similarly, Quickley said being a “human piece” was the biggest thing he learned from Rajakovic, especially after the death of his brother Sean Hamilton on March 20.

“I think we probably talked more about things off the court than basketball, which is great as a coach,” Quickley said. “But when we talk about basketball, his attention to detail is second to none.

“His willingness to work and find ways to improve and things like that and get the whole team involved is second to none.

The Raptors' four-man lineup — Barnes, Poeltl, Barrett and Quickley — had only seven games to play together. When they were all on the field together, they dominated Rajakovic's attack.

“My eye test says there's a lot of potential here and a lot of room for growth,” he said. “But I don't want to look at a small sample and say yes, and then tend to take it for granted.

“I think there are things we can do better offensively and defensively with this group.”

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 16, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, Canadian Press