Latest news with #ex-Raptors
New York Times
16-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Darko Rajaković's soft skills are excellent, but can he nail the hard choices?
TORONTO — Do not confuse a person who has mastered 'soft' skills with a 'soft' person. In fact, knowing how to communicate effectively with a disparate group of people requires, on occasion, being acerbic or even aggressive. 'We were in a timeout and he really chewed me out in front of everybody,' Toronto Raptors rookie Ja'Kobe Walter said Monday of one late-season moment with head coach Darko Rajaković. Several players were chatting with the media after the end of a 30-52 season. 'He was saying I was being weak on the court. I wasn't being aggressive just because I got one shot blocked. He was saying I was soft. And then in that moment, it kind of turned me up. He saw that I went out there and I started playing defence crazy and all that. When he chews me out, he knows that it kind of lights a fire under me.' Advertisement It would be easy to see and listen to the mild-mannered, optimistic Raptors head coach, especially with the way he presents himself in front of cameras, and mistake him for a young coach who is afraid to rankle NBA talent. While he certainly doesn't have ex-Raptors coach Nick Nurse's penchant for criticizing specific players in public, the 'nice guy' perception is off. Sure, Rajaković cares about his players and will make uncommon gestures to let them know that. He will also light them up privately or in a team setting. 'Accountability is nothing else than the belief that the person can go to another level, that they can achieve something bigger and better,' Rajaković said on Tuesday. It's a mantra fit to put on a poster in an office, right next to the 'hang in there' kitty. However you define them, through two seasons, it is clear Rajaković has nailed the art of using soft skills to get through to his players. As demonstrated by the Raptors' defensive growth through the season, a clear offensive stylistic shift that has yet to produce results or the way his players talk about him, Rajaković's messages have resonated with the team. October 2025 will bring the tougher part: getting a flawed team with raised expectations to not just play cohesively but to play well. The Raptors' era of good feelings is coming to an end, soon to be replaced by the pressure to turn incremental growth into a significant leap in wins. For all the positivity, much of it justified, from this past season — a five-win jump from last year, the encouraging development of a quartet of rookies and a massive defensive improvement — there is still a question about how real any of it was. The Raptors feasted on a weak schedule down the stretch. They are the only team in the league that didn't win a single game on the road against an opponent that finished better than .500. They went 16-3 against the six teams that finished with a worse record than them and 14-49 against the 23 other teams. Advertisement With the addition of Brandon Ingram to a young core of players, there will be expectations for the Raptors to improve next season as older teams presumably fade. Whether that means making the top half of the Play-In or the top six will depend a lot on how the offseason goes, including what happens to the Raptors on the evening of the draft lottery. Unlike some other potentially ascendant teams in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors are not likely to have much flexibility to alter their roster this summer beyond the draft. They will be in a delicate dance with the luxury tax threshold. That doesn't have to be solved before next year's games begin, but it rules out a significant expenditure on out-of-organization talent. Barring a trade, the Raptors' roster will look familiar. As it happens, the Raptors finished 26th in offensive rating this year. They were not efficient in transition, but they ranked fifth in total points per game in transition, which means their half-court offence was largely a mess. With none of Barnes, Ingram or RJ Barrett likely to launch 3s at high frequency, the intricacy with which the Raptors must execute will have to be pinpoint. 'For me, the most important thing is going to be that we really need to make quick decisions,' Rajaković said. 'We cannot be holding the ball. We need to be making simple decisions and simple reads.' Barnes and Barrett have already bought in, while Ingram's last few years have been disappointing enough that he should be open to re-examining his game. He has at least averaged 4.9 assists per game in each of the last five seasons, so Ingram is not in any way a selfish player. He does tend to hold the ball, and that is something Rajaković is going to have to coach out of him. With wins and losses essentially incidental over the last season and a half, it has been difficult to judge Rajaković's in-game abilities. Their lineups were all over the place this year, thanks to meaningful injuries to nearly every player on the roster, including Ingram, who didn't play a game after his February trade to Toronto. Anecdotally, Rajaković seemed to be solid at creating open looks for his offensively deficient team when coming out of timeouts. And he is aggressive at using timeouts, even early in the game. Advertisement How that translates to a team that is really trying to win games instead of benching its best players with eight minutes left remains to be seen. 'I understand what coaches need to be successful. And he has all those attributes: the will to win, the time you have to spend in trying to be prepared,' Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley said. 'He's a step ahead of the game. He allows the players to lead the team as far as asking questions during the film (sessions). … He does a lot of little stuff. But I think also just like the in-game adjustments, he's really good at that.' 'I don't know if you guys have seen Darko's (after-timeout plays),' Barrett added, 'but (we) get a wide-open shot or we score every single time.' Rajaković's ability to keep the team together as they put together a disastrous first half of the season should be commended and appreciated. Real expectations, though, result in more pressure, and more angst when losses mount. If the Raptors are healthy, not every player who made a good impression this year will be able to play regularly. What if Rajaković decides it doesn't make sense to start all three of Barnes, Barrett and Ingram, preferring a low-usage glue guy to hold the first five together? Ochai Agbaji and Walter both had encouraging years, while Gradey Dick is just two seasons removed from being a lottery pick; there might not be room for all three in the rotation. With a core of young players who want to start winning, what happens if the Raptors hit on their draft pick, either in the top four or in the middle of the lottery, and need to mix that player's needs with that of the team's? None of those are simple scenarios, and none of them have been Rajaković's concern since the Raptors traded OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam in the middle of 2023-24. 'I want to have that problem,' Rajaković said. 'I want to have guys available. I want to have great players on the team, I want to be facing those decisions. I am not shying away from that. 'If I wanted to keep people happy, I would be selling ice cream. I would not be a basketball coach.'
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
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-Raptor players complain about 'disadvantages' of living in Toronto, as fans call out their 'spoiled privilege'
Several former Toronto Raptors have come out of the woodwork in recent days to give their thoughts about playing for — and living in — the only Canadian NBA city. And most of the sentiments have been anything but positive, with them calling out the "disadvantages" that come with it. The discourse all started when ex-Raptors forward Thaddeus Young, who spent parts of three seasons with the team from 2021-24, appeared on Tidal League's Out The Mud Podcast to lament his time with the club. Young's complaints about playing for the Raptors seem to centre around things like having to travel through Canadian customs each time the team returned to the city from a road trip, how cold it can be in Canada, getting "stuck at the border" and having to be far away from his American-based family — all issues that plenty of extremely high-paid athletes in the NBA and other leagues like the NHL and MLB face wth regularity. "It was tough on my family. ... My kids were hurting," said Young, noting that his wife even threatened to not come with him if re-signed with Toronto, which he ultimately did in 2022. To his credit, Young says she had similar reservations about Minnesota. "Toronto, I like kicking it in the night clubs, but I couldn't see myself playing there," said 14-year NBA veteran Tony Allen on the podcast in response to Young. Former Raptors Forward Thad Young didn't like living in Toronto:"I ain't gon lie, being in Toronto is kinda cool to visit, be there for 4-5 days that's cool but to live there, yea it's almost like you in a disadvantage..."[via @OutTheMudTL ] — Hassan O (@YourBoyH2O) March 19, 2025 As you would expect, passionate fans of the Raptors and defenders of Toronto did not take Young's comments too well, flocking to the comment sections on social to voice their displeasure with the remarks. "This man acting like they're flying commercial lol…," wrote another. Another X user replied: "Nah you wrong for this [Young]. After all the love we showed you." "This guy got paid millions to sit on a bench and he's complaining about customs and the weather?" wrote another. "Then why did you sign an extension you moron," one fan replied. Another fan posted: "I'm sorry, but honestly, complaining about this stuff is wild when you get to play a game you love for millions of dollars and the biggest complain you have is customs and the cold? I'm so tired of this narrative. Yes. It's cold. It's cold in the U.S., too!! Goddamn!!" Others simply asked why these athletes won't apply for a NEXUS card, which allows for faster border crossings for pre-approved travellers. Even with that in mind, the common sentiment among fans was that Young's comments exuded a certain type of "privilege." "Listening to a multimillionaire athlete who is catered to in ways most cannot imagine, complaining about airport security and customs, just reeks of spoiled privilege & also frankly a lack of worldliness. Why much of the world can't stand Americans," another fan wrote, in what seems to be a common sentiment among many who had a problem with Young's comments. NBA players are so privileged that their biggest complaint is going through customs lmao — William Lou (@william_lou) March 25, 2025 Fans are certainly riled up over Young's comments, but he isn't the only jaded ex-player to voice his complaints about playing in Toronto over the past few days. Rudy Gay, another former Raptor who played just 51 games with the team back in 2013, joined Young with his own not-so-glowing review of playing for the team, while taking a swipe at fans during his recent appearance on the Knuckleheads Podcast. Gay's complaints, like Young's, mostly centered around having to go through customs every time you go "in and out" of the city for "every game." He then took a personal shot at Raptors fans: "That weak-ass accent they got! They hate me, I don't know why they hate me. You ever got traded from somewhere and the fans boo you? They traded me, I ain't ask for no trade," he said. Canadians, Torontonians and Raptors fans reacted to those words exactly how you would've expected: not well. "Did they also talk about how the Raptors got better after he was traded?" wrote one fan. "Trading him started what will possibly be the greatest Raptors era of my lifetime, and we traded him for scraps. He was the problem with that team not meshing in the first bit of 13-14," exclaimed another. Another user posted, "This popped up on my timeline and I knew right away he had to say something bad about Toronto. He holds a grudge against the Raptors." In the midst of all the hate for playing in Toronto from Young and Gay, a couple former ex-Raptors, Charlie Villanueva and Lou Williams, (somewhat) came to the defence of the franchise and city they each used to call home. "My time in Toronto was nothing but amazing, but I will say there's an inconvenience, but bro you in the NBA making millions of dollars. Come on now, don't be a little bougie now... He's being a little Hollywood," Villanueva said on the Run Your Race Podcast recently. Williams, meanwhile, said he "thoroughly enjoyed" his time in Toronto with the Raptors, but also acknowledged some of the "disadvantages" that come with playing in the NBA's only Canadian market. Lou Williams reacts to Thad Young's comment about living in Toronto:' I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Toronto, but it definitely has its disadvantages when you play for the Raptors.'(via @RunItBackFDTV) — Hassan O (@YourBoyH2O) March 24, 2025 It seems cool to have some ex-players like Villanueva and Williams have Toronto's back, but plenty are having a hard time with the whole complaining-about-customs thing — especially when you make the absurd money these guys make. "Getting paid millions and having to suffer through customs 41 times a year is horrible — I couldn't imagine the pain and agony," quipped one commenter. "Funny you almost don't hear baseball or hockey b**** about customs. They just accept it for what it is, part of the travel grind. NBA American born players are definitely softer & more bougie," wrote another. It certainly has to be a little inconvenient crossing the border so much, especially in comparison to playing for an American team when you only have to cross the border a couple times per season. But flying private, with a whole staff of people on your side making travel and border-crossing as seamless as possible, really makes that aspect a whole lot easier. Meanwhile, some fans also dispelled the whole "41 times through customs" narrative in an 82-game season, pointing out that it's common for teams to go on five-, six-game road trips throughout the year. In turn, it cuts down the amount of times you'd re-enter Canada. "So basically you go through customs 15-20 times a year. That's basically your average business person. Relax." One X user replied. "It drives me nuts when they say the cross the border 41 times, as if they don't do road trips with multiple games involved." Wrote another. That whole "double-tax" thing? Yeah, that's a myth, too. Taxes are notoriously higher in Canada, but players get taxed on a game-to-game basis depending on the city they are in that night and that state or province's tax laws — something many were quick to point out. "What does double taxed mean tf???? No way these guys believe that," wrote one fan. "You do not get double taxed. There's a treaty in place between the U.S. and Canada to ensure that (first-hand experience)," posted another. Others, rightfully so, are simply over asking jaded former players, who made limited impact on the franchise, what they think about their team and city. "They be asking retired ringless players. Go ask Lowry or Deebo," one fan wrote. "... Why not ask DeRozan or Lowry about Toronto? If TO was so bad, why did Carter come back into the fold? Ask Alvin Williams about his time... These guys are nobody role players." Thad YoungCharlie VLou WillRudy GayHow is this still a thing? Why are we asking guys who spent 1-2 years in Toronto about the city? And, I can't stress this enough, who cares what they think… EH? 😜 — Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 26, 2025 These ex-Raptor players surely won't be the last to complain about playing for the NBA's only Canadian franchise, and they definitely aren't the first. Many will (or maybe won't) remember Goran Dragic, who famously stated "Toronto is not my preferred destination, I have higher ambitions," when the team acquired him before flipping him to Brooklyn for, hilariously enough, Thad Young, in February 2022. Dragic later apologized to fans, but the damage was mostly done. Some things will just never change.
Miami Herald
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Spoelstra, Heat players reflect on Butler era and assess each of the team's new players
Friday's post-practice Heat media session on the banks of the East River in Manhattan delivered a blend of reflection about the end of the Jimmy Butler era and a sense of excitement about the possibilities ahead. 'We were able to bolster our roster in a way that was really creative,' coach Erik Spoelstra said after the team's morning shootaround at the Basketball City recreation center, a day after Miami finalized a five-team trade that sent Butler to Golden State and former Warriors forwards Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson and ex-Raptors point guard Davion Mitchell to Miami. 'We like the players we added,' Spoelstra said hours before team played at Brooklyn. 'And to be able to get a draft pick, we were able to do a lot of different things. We have clarity now. This could have looked a lot worse if you had to go through a lot of different changing situations. All things considered, it's a good spot for this stretch run. We feel good about turning the page of the direction of our franchise. It's exciting. [And] Jimmy will be in a great place in Golden State.' Tyler Herro said he's 'super happy to have the new guys, get past everything going on the last six to eight weeks. It's kind of refreshing. It's good to get new energy, new life into the building.' Here were thoughts offered Friday morning from Spoelstra and several Heat veterans on the players Miami snagged and Butler's memorable 5 ½ year Heat tenure that included two NBA Finals appearances, three deep playoff appearances, and volatility, drama, three suspensions and a trade request in his final weeks with the franchise. On Butler ▪ Asked if he felt sadness or disappointment about how the relationship ended, Spoelstra said: 'I don't have to completely understand how we got to this point, but what I can have is a sense of gratitude completely. It was a great partnership and corroboration for five years. Some deep core memories. I'm grateful for them and grateful for the time of being able to coach a player like Jimmy. 'Every once in a while, I flip through my journal from the bubble and get goose bumps when I take myself back to that experience. It's so intense. From a competitive standpoint, to have a team come together in unique adverse circumstances and to have that real sense of a team and a spirit, those are indelible memories I will treasure the rest of my career and my life. Nothing lasts forever.' ▪ Bam Adebayo, framing Butler's 5 ½ seasons here: 'Obviously, it ended not the way everybody expected it to. But for the five years, we did a lot of things and overachieved and did some things people thought we couldn't do. We're all grateful for that.' ▪ Herro, on what he will remember about his time with Butler: 'I think it was a great five or six years to be able to play with a guy like that. I came in as a rookie. He took me under his wing. 'I took some things from him and reinvented my own way to help lead this organization in my own way. I thought it was a great five, six years of what we were able to accomplish, obviously not being able to win a championship with him. It's a new chapter and we feel like we are headed in that direction again.' Was Herro bothered that Butler's camp said he felt like he took an undertalented team to the Finals? 'I guess that's how he feels. He's done a lot for this organization, great player. Happy he got what he wanted.' ▪ Duncan Robinson, on his podcast: Thank goodness there is a trade deadline because I felt like this would have dragged on forever. A big takeaway of mine is the unfortunate nature of how it all went down. Anyone who is able to look at it objectively would say Jimmy had an incredible stint in Miami. If it wasn't the best basketball of his career, it was damn near. 'We had some great runs, [teams] that overachieved. There have been great moments, there have been challenging moments. That's sort of what you get when you get someone as competitive, spirited as he is. He's a ruthless competitor.... 'He's the only player I've seen—or the player who does it the most—where his competitive spirit and will are what separate him. You look at his game, and yeah, he has skill. Obviously, he's got good footwork, he's athletic, but there's nothing extraordinary about anything he does other than his competitive spirit and will. I learned a lot competing with him.' On Wiggins ▪ Spoelstra said the fact a scout told The Miami Herald that he can play well - and blend in - with anyone is a 'beautiful compliment. That should be printed for every player coming into the league that you can play with anyone on both sides of the floor and make it work and be winning basketball. Everything we heard about him from Minnesota to Golden State, he made such a positive impression. And he's a champion. 'His scoring, putting pressures on defenses, defensively, he's such a unique, dynamic versatile defender. Fits right into how we defend.' ▪ Robinson: 'He's a super dynamic player. Defensively as someone who's guarded me in the past, his ability to get deflections. His athleticism and length are really unique. Offensively, his ability to play with the ball, off the ball, cut, offensive rebound, all sorts of things. He's going to be fun to play with.' ▪ Adebayo: 'The athleticism [stands out]. Somebody who's a champion. He knows what it takes to get there.' ▪ Herro: 'He's obviously a top tier defender. His length, athleticism, offensively a great guy who can catch and shoot and cut and play make with the ball in his hands, can do a little bit of everything. Will help our offense and help us a lot.' On Mitchell ▪ Spoelstra: 'Davion is somebody we've been a fan of. You never think you would have an opportunity to get him because he's a lottery pick. His toughness, competitive spirit is something we admire and respect that out of him. It fits in how we want to play.' ▪ Adebayo: 'Mitchell picks up 94 feet [defensively]. He's going to fit right in with the culture.' ▪ Herro: 'Just going up against him, you know the edge and spirit he's going to bring on that side of the ball. Really competitive. Gets into the ball, gets steals, guards 94 feet and we don't really have a guy like that that can get in the game and impact the game just on defense.' ▪ Robinson: 'He's a little pit bull, not somebody you want to match up with. It's going to be fun watch him crawl into guys' defensively. On Anderson ▪ Spoelstra: 'Kyle Anderson is one of the unique role players in this league. I studied him a lot when he was coming out of the draft. His love [for the game], the way he competes and how smart he is. It's hard to find guys who think the second, third, fourth layer of a situation. His IQ is off the charts. He's been part of a lot of winning teams; it's not a coincidence.' ▪ Herro: 'I've been a fan of him since I've first seen him in middle school.' ▪ Robinson: 'Matched up with him a bunch. Super high IQ. Has a unique rhythm and pace to the game. Defensively, super active with his hands, deflections and getting his hands on the ball.'
