Latest news with #Rajakovic
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raptors star Brandon Ingram got injection in injured ankle
It's not a surprise that Brandon Ingram's season is over, but it was not expected that the star Toronto Raptors forward would need a PRP injection in his left ankle. Yet, that was judged to be the best course of action and was administered on Tuesday, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said on Wednesday before his team hosted the Charlotte Hornets in Toronto's final home game of the year. Ingram has been sidelined since badly spraining the ankle while landing on an opponent's foot back on December 7 when he was still a member of the New Orleans Hornets. Toronto traded for Ingram on Feb. 6, but while he's been improving, he was not able to suit up for his new team. 'While we were in New York, we had a chance to go and see a foot specialist with the team,' Rajakovic explained. 'And he was able to give us the great news that our diagnosis and all the program and everything we've been putting in, it's the right things. It's what he needs. He's been recovering really well. He did recommend for us to consider PRP injection,' Rajakovic said. 'The reasoning behind it is it's going to speed up his recovery. And now with five, six days over here to the rest of the season, it's going to give him a time to really rehab and rest well and to be ready for our summer program.' A platelet-rich plasma injection is a treatment that uses the patient's own blood to speed up healing for tissue repair and regeneration. The Raptors organization is optimistic there will be no issues moving forward and that Ingram will be a key piece that will help significantly improve the team's middling offence moving forward. Rajakovic said that while he does not 'have a crystal ball in front of me' in terms of predicting further injuries to Ingram's ankles, 'we're doing everything in our power to prevent that. Obviously he had a bad injury. We're aware of that. We are doing everything in our power to get him back on the court and for his recovery. He's doing amazing job. He's very compliant. He is putting a lot of work in. I strongly believe that it's going to be behind us,' he said. Toronto was also without Jakob Poeltl, Ochai Agbaji, Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick and Ja'Kobe Walter on Wednesday. @WolstatSun Gigantic Canadian Rioux didn't need ladder to celebrate Florida's NCAA title Ja'Kobe Walter a bright spot for Raptors, Gradey Dick not so much
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Raptors close home schedule vs. Hornets, feel optimistic about future
The Toronto Raptors are out of the playoff picture, but there is a feeling of optimism about the future as they complete their home schedule Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets. Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said he is impressed by the players' approach and energy in what has been a learning season. "That's what you want to see," he said Tuesday. "You want to see guys invested and working hard ... almost like focusing on next season." The Raptors (29-50) are coming off a 120-109 road win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday that ended a three-game losing streak. Before the skid, they had won four in a row. One of the reasons for Toronto's optimism is the play of such rookies as Jamal Shead, who had a career-best 12 assists on Sunday. Another rookie, Jonathan Mogbo, matched his career bests with 17 points and 11 rebounds while setting a career high with seven assists against the Nets. "These guys are very coachable, and they keep each other accountable," Rajakovic said. "And when you have that, then you have very good team chemistry." "We've got some dogs on this team with these young guys," said Scottie Barnes, who did not play on Sunday because of a nagging hand injury. "These guys are amazing, and they're going to be integral to our (future)." Barnes participated in practice on Tuesday, and Rajakovic said the injury has improved. Whether Barnes plays against the Hornets will be determined on Wednesday. RJ Barrett, who scored 13 points on Sunday, said there is a different feeling on the team this season compared to a year ago. "This year we made a step forward in what we're building here," Barrett said. "We've got some good pieces with these younger guys coming in. ... The team morale, everything is on a high right now for us. We know what we're building toward, so everybody feels good right now." The Raptors and Hornets (19-60) split their first two meetings this season. The Hornets are coming off a 124-100 home loss on Tuesday to the Memphis Grizzlies and have dropped nine of their past 10 games. Charlotte will come to Toronto on a downer. The Hornets' KJ Simpson was ejected from the game on Tuesday when he was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul late in the first half. Simpson inadvertently upended Jaylen Wells of the Grizzlies on a dunk attempt. Wells, who was taken off the court on a stretcher because of a possible head injury, suffered a broken right wrist. "Hard to witness something like that," Hornets coach Charles Lee said. "In the heat of the game, just really trying to tell the guys obviously, 'Let's keep him in our thoughts and our prayers.' I think a lot of guys walked over and either patted him on the butt or went over to the coach and said something to the coach about how they apologize. I did the same thing, because we don't play dirty." The Hornets fell behind 33-18 after the first quarter when they committed seven turnovers leading to 13 Memphis points. Charlotte finished with 15 turnovers leading to 25 points. Miles Bridges shot 4-for-13 from the field, but his 14 points were enough to lead the Hornets in scoring on Tuesday. The Raptors defeated the Hornets 108-97 in the most recent meeting between the teams on March 28 at Toronto. The Raptors are vying for their sixth consecutive season series win against the Hornets. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
Miami Herald
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Bulls bid to bounce back from lopsided loss, host Raptors
The Chicago Bulls still have an excellent chance to finish the regular season on a high note despite seeing their momentum slowed by back-to-back losses. The Bulls (33-42) will continue their battle for a higher playoff seed with a matchup against the visiting Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. Chicago has a favorable schedule down the stretch, with six of its final seven opponents under .500. While Toronto (28-47) has won four straight games, Chicago is looking to bounce back from a 145-117 road loss to the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. The Bulls trailed 74-40 at the half and began resting their starters late in the third quarter. The loss dropped Chicago to 10th place in the Eastern Conference, the last play-in spot. ''There's disappointment whenever you lose by such a big margin,'' Bulls center Nikola Vucevic said. ''You never want to lose by 30 in a game and play the way we played, so, sure, there's disappointment. But in the NBA, you can't be disappointed too long or happy too long. We've had a really good stretch, and now we've lost two in a row and have to regroup.'' Chicago guard Josh Giddey had 15 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in 28 minutes in the loss to his former team. Guard Kevin Huerter sat out with a sprained right thumb and other minor injuries. "He's just been dealing with stuff," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said of Huerter. "He had a thing with his finger, and it's been a bit of a problem. It's probably more to protect that, some load management and some time, quite honestly. The hope is he'll be back (Tuesday), but he's been beat up. I think medical just felt it was good to rest him." Chicago is aiming for a season sweep of Toronto after winning the first three meetings, including 125-115 in overtime at home on Feb. 28. Coby White is averaging 20.8 points in his last five games against Toronto, which beat the host Philadelphia 76ers 127-109 on Sunday. RJ Barrett scored 31 points and Ja'Kobe Walter added 17 for the Raptors, who have won 10 of their last 15 games. The rebuilding Raptors will rest Barrett and Ochai Agbaji against Chicago as the team continues to look toward the future. Toronto has given its young players an extended look in recent weeks. The rookie quartet of Walter, Jamison Battle, Jonathan Mogbo and Jamal Shead all scored in double digits on Sunday. "We're focusing on things that are controllable, staying positive and upbeat with the players, trusting our work and our vision," Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. "This is year one of our rebuild. We're really trying to find out who can be part of our team and who's growing with our team." Rajakovic will be a key part of the Raptors' efforts moving forward after the team reportedly extended his contract through 2026-27. "We are here in this together," Rajakovic told Sportsnet. "We know that this is a process. Obviously, I have utmost respect and trust in our front office and what we're trying to build over here. And I think we are good partners. We're trying to help each other in every possible way." --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
True measure of Darko Rajakovic's coaching merits won't arrive until next season
The dark days of the Darko Rajakovic era in Toronto will soon make way for brighter times when his coaching acumen will truly be measured. When he was named to succeed Nick Nurse, the deck was stacked against Rajakovic, a noted developer of young talent. A changing of the guard would see stalwarts OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam traded as the franchise's torch would be transferred to Scottie Barnes. The expected losses would ensue in Rajakovic's rookie season, including the most lopsided home loss and the biggest setback in franchise history to the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively. In Rajakovic's second season, the losses continued, but amid the blowouts and near misses some encouraging signs would emerge. When next season officially tips off, the slate will be clean with the magnifying glass squarely on Rajakovic. The business of coaching in the NBA is fraught with every coach, regardless of pedigree, fully aware of the job's fickle and unfair nature. On Friday as the Raptors were poised to play host to the Charlotte Hornets, the Memphis Grizzlies, Rajakovic's former employer, announced head coach Taylor Jenkins had been dismissed. Jenkins left as the franchise leader in wins. The Grizzlies haven't been playing well since the all-star break and change was needed as the team slipped from the No. 2 seed in the West to the No. 5 seed. Jenkins became the scapegoat on a team featuring Toronto native and rookie Zach Edey. '(It's) not surprising news, it's shocking news for me,' said Rajakovic on the firing of his friend and former boss. 'I did not see that coming. I know Taylor as a man. I know Taylor as a coach. He's first class in everything he does. Unfortunately, that's the business.' In late December, the coaching fraternity was rocked to its core when Mike Brown was sacked by the Sacramento Kings less than halfway through his third season and six months after signing a three-year contract extension. One-time Raptors wing Doug Christie was named interim coach. 'Absolute privilege to play in our city' Darko Rajakovic responds to ex-Raptors ripping Toronto Are Toronto Raptors or Charlotte Hornets in better long-term spot? Brown was the unanimous choice as coach of the year in his first season with the Kings in 2022-23 when he helped Sacramento end the longest playoff drought in NBA history at 16 seasons. Jenkins isn't as decorated as Brown, which might help explain why his dismissal did not send shockwaves through the coaching ranks. The Grizzlies have not been playing well and with their playoff seeding sliding as the post-season approaches, a case for a change could be made. To say Rajakovic is a good coach would be a stretch. To say Rajakovic is a bad coach would be stupid. Somewhere in between one may be able to find the truth, but the reality is no one knows. Change has been the one constant almost from the moment Rajakovic began his time in Toronto. The other constant has been losses, but they were inevitable when a different lineup gets thrown out at virtually every jump, when front-line players who may or may not be worthy of starting are injured and when the club's head honcho in Masai Ujiri anoints the season as a rebuild on media day. When the Raptors faced the Hornets, Rajakovic rolled out his 35th different starting lineup of the season. One suspects that number will only increase with eight games remaining. Six times the Raptors have lost as many as four games in row, including a season-high 11 during a miserable stretch in December capped off the Boston Massacre on New Year's Eve when the reigning champion Boston Celtics handed Toronto a 125-71 defeat, marking the largest margin of defeat in Raptors history. Two weeks later, the Raptors make amends by beating the visiting Celtics. Rajakovic is a competitor who has at times shown more competitive spirit than his players. The growth from his rookie season can be found in how critical he has been while at the same time refusing to single out any individual. His quick timeouts only reinforced his disdain at the way the Raptors played, especially on the defensive end. The way the Raptors have played during the month of March illustrates how Rajakovic has never stopped coaching and teaching. Losses would be preferred knowing each defeat only increases the Raptors' lottery odds of drafting Cooper Flagg. Teams like Charlotte under rookie head coach Charles Lee aren't very good, made even weaker with the news star point guard LaMelo Ball will be sidelined for the remainder of the season because of ankle and wrist injuries. Charlotte will return to Scotiabank Arena on April 9, which will coincide with Toronto's home finale. Rookies, such as undrafted Jamison Battle, who got the start Friday, have shown flashes under Rajakovic. It's anyone's guess how many of the team's rookie group will be around when a new season tips off. One player who will be on the roster is Brandon Ingram, who has yet to play for the Raptors and is unlikely to make his debut this season because of a high ankle sprain he suffered months ago when he was a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. When the 2025-26 season tips off, the Raptors will be expected to contend for a playoff spot. The roster will be deeper, giving Rajakovic options, whether it applies to a rotation or whether it applies to a style of play he wants to establish. Next season is shaping up as the true and legitimate time for Rajakovic's coaching chops to be properly assessed. If he's able to integrate Ingram, Barnes and Immanuel Quickley into a functional threesome, Rajakovic will succeed. If he can't, he'll become the latest victim of the coaching chopping block. No one ever said the NBA was fair because everyone knows it's a cut-throat business. There's a shelf life to every head coach not named Gregg Popovich or Eric Spoelstra. Coaches develop tenure when they have talent. Toronto's talent will be the best Rajakovic will coach next season. And only then will the best or worst of his coaching skills be judged. fzicarelli@
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raptors running out of good opponents as season drags on
The Toronto Raptors are about to run out of good opponents. Following Monday's late game in Phoenix against the a talented team that happens to be both the NBA's highest-paid group and one of its most confounding and then Wednesday's game at red-hot Golden State (winners of seven straight heading into Monday), Toronto will only play one more team over .500 the rest of the way. That would be the surprising Detroit Pistons on April 4. Otherwise it's one each against NBA-worst Washington and third-worst Charlotte, plus two against a San Antonio squad missing its two stars, a couple against Brooklyn, one against Philadelphia (only one win separates Toronto from those teams), one against free-falling Dallas and games against Chicago and Portland, both kind of eying play-in spots. Good luck being entertained by most of those ones. Toronto rested Jakob Poeltl for Monday's game, with Immanuel Quickley returning from one game of rest of his own. RJ Barrett remained out due to illness, and a number of other Raptors remain injured. Going forward expect one or two players to be sat out for rest, but not Scottie Barnes because he can only miss two of the final 14 games to remain eligible for all-NBA or all-defensive team consideration. Head coach Darko Rajakovic will continue to tinker with his lineups and even his play calls. The first play of Sunday's close loss in Portland featured something to set up a corner three-point shot by Poeltl of all people. He made the shot, his first three-pointer in four seasons, and Rajakovic mused to reporters afterwards that they'll try to get the big man more looks from outside since he's been working hard at improving there. The stretch run will be all about experimentation. Rajakovic has been tethering Quickley's minutes to Barnes to get the duo more used to playing together moving forward. Whether Brandon Ingram gets into the mix remains up in the air. The team will likely update his status again either ahead of Thursday's game against the Warriors, or in the days before Sunday's home game against San Antonio. Toronto's just 26th in free throw makes per game this season, yet in March has ranked third. The main reason is the team is simply getting to the line far more frequently than it did prior to (nearly seven times more a game). Quickley and Barrett are both getting 6.2 free throw attempts per game in March, but Quickley has hit 87.1% of those attempts, compared to only 58.1% for Barrett. Another interesting stat: Toronto was 6-2 in March before Monday's game, despite its NBA-worst 53.9% true shooting percentage for the month. The team is also last in effective field goal percentage and only two teams are turning the ball over more often. The strong record then has been a result of elite defence (only Detroit has been stingier in March) and great rebounding (Toronto's been the best offensive rebounding and third-best overall on the boards in March). This has been one of the best scoring months of Quickley's career and it continues an interesting pattern. Either with New York or Toronto, the point guard seems to save his best scoring for late in seasons. He averaged 28.8 points in April 2023, 23.2 in April 2024, is averaging 21.6 points this March, averaged 20 a game in March 2022, 19.7 in March 2023 and 18.5 last March. Those are the six highest-scoring months of his career. Toronto needs Quickley to find his rhythm earlier in seasons moving forward. This year it was tough since injuries kept him out for so long. This is also one of the best scoring months for Poeltl. He's averaged 16.2 points in five games, trailing only his November 2024 high of 16.6. Overall, Poeltl has shot a career-best 67% at the free throw line for the year, a massive improvement from the 46.5% he managed in 2019-20 while with San Antonio or even his career mark of 55%. Top Ten Canadians to watch in NCAA's March Madness tournament Raptors might want to tank but it's not happening @WolstatSun
