Woj: Raps Hire Darko Rajakovic - Live Stream PG 39

[Johnny Bball]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/longform/hes-an-outlier-inside-darko-rajakovics-unlikely-and-inspiring-path-to-toronto/

Long piece on who Darko is, history etc. Sportsnet, written by some tool, but its a good article.

[Fairview4Life]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/longform/hes-an-outlier-inside-darko-rajakovics-unlikely-and-inspiring-path-to-toronto/

Long piece on who Darko is, history etc. Sportsnet, written by some tool, but its a good article.

"Good luck with these guys.”

Those were Nick Nurse’s final words after being fired by the Toronto Raptors back in April. Relayed by president Masai Ujiri, they are open to interpretation.

One version – the one Ujiri leaned into at the time – is the literal one. After 10 years with the franchise and a by-any-measure successful five-year run as head coach, Nurse wished only the best to a team and organization that had helped him put him on the map.

Of course, there is another possible take: Basically, ‘Good luck trying to win with these chumps, I’m out of here.’

And then there is the correct take: he was making a joke about the media members that were there.

[sidsid]

Late to listening to the Will Lou Darko interview, but him talking at length about how the 37+ minutes load harms players both now and in the future - future talk is usually the FOs realm - is yet another direct hit to everything I've wanted to hear since the damn Bosh days.

Now if he could just fix some awful starting rotations and slight tweaks to role definition, I could finally be *happy as a fan.

* don't think this is truly possible, but we're as close as we've ever been

[WuTang_OG]

Watch on YouTube

[elmer_yuck]

Offensive and defensive schemes that don't make sense given our personnel.
Playing our top players too many minutes, not developing the bench.
Finally we have a coach who makes sense.

[ArthurVandelay]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/longform/hes-an-outlier-inside-darko-rajakovics-unlikely-and-inspiring-path-to-toronto/

Long piece on who Darko is, history etc. Sportsnet, written by some tool, but its a good article.

"Good luck with these guys.”

Those were Nick Nurse’s final words after being fired by the Toronto Raptors back in April. Relayed by president Masai Ujiri, they are open to interpretation.

One version – the one Ujiri leaned into at the time – is the literal one. After 10 years with the franchise and a by-any-measure successful five-year run as head coach, Nurse wished only the best to a team and organization that had helped him put him on the map.

Of course, there is another possible take: Basically, ‘Good luck trying to win with these chumps, I’m out of here.’

And then there is the correct take: he was making a joke about the media members that were there.

And “journalists” are so confused why no one believes anything they “report” anymore.

[djsunyc]

Watch on YouTube

darko's relationship with the team is really good to see.

[ArthurVandelay]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[WuTang_OG]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=0YpMScWXY2zRUqR8fH-usg

From an unprecedented lawsuit implicating him and several members of his staff in the alleged theft of proprietary information before coaching his first game to a late-season gambling scandal involving one his players, franchise-altering trades, season-ending injuries and an ever-changing roster, few have been tested like Rajakovic has right out of the gate.


But in spite of the many challenges he and his team have faced on their way to a 25-55 record, with only two games in Miami remaining on the schedule, there’s something commendable about the way they’re closing out a lost campaign.

You could see it in the way they fought to upset the second-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and avoid a historic losing streak last week, or in the way the inactive starters supported their young teammates from the bench at the end of a surprisingly competitive Game 80 defeat in Brooklyn on Wednesday.

The Raptors have now dropped 17 of their last 19 contests, a stretch that included their 15-game skid. They’ve been without their all-star and best player, Scottie Barnes, and starting centre, Jakob Poeltl, since they each underwent hand surgery in early March. They’ve played games without most of – and, in a few cases, all – their regular starters and, as such, have suffered some of the franchise’s worst losses ever.

But where other teams may have thrown in the towel, splintered or tuned out the coach, this one hasn’t. That’s a credit to the leader of the locker room, a man whose message and sunny temperament have not wavered from his first day on the job.

“More times than not, the team is going to take on the coach’s disposition,” veteran Garrett Temple said of Rajakovic. “This is his first time having a head coaching job in this league, but honestly, wherever he’s been before I would venture to guess he hasn’t had this much change, this many variables, this many things happen. So, he’s done a great job of keeping the team even keeled.”

“No matter what the situation is, no matter what the circumstances are, whether he’s got five G Leaguers out there playing at one time, his approach every day has been beautiful,” Gary Trent Jr. told TSN earlier this week. “He came into a tough situation and knew there was going to be a learning curve, but Darko has been great. Second to none when it comes to making sure team camaraderie is good, making sure everybody is still focused in, trying to make sure everybody feels included, making everybody feel like they’re cared about and thought about.”

Those qualities were considered prerequisites when the Raptors began their coaching search last summer. No disrespect to Nick Nurse, a clever tactician who spent 10 years in Toronto, including five as a head coach, and led the club to its first ever championship in 2019. But after last season’s team fell short of expectations and seemed divided on the way to a 41-41 finish and play-in tournament elimination, the organization was looking for something different. Rajakovic wasn’t among the frontrunners going into the extensive interview process, but he stood out for his positivity and his ability to relate to and connect with players.

The 45-year-old came with rave reviews from his peers, players and former employers. With nearly three decades of experience as a coach in his native Serbia, Spain, the G League and as an assistant in the NBA, the Raptors felt that he could command the respect of their veteran core, assuming they had opted to keep it together beyond this season. But in the event that they decided to go younger and pivot towards a rebuild, Rajakovic’s background in player development would make him an ideal fit.

“At the end of the day, every player wants to get better and from my experience that does not have an expiration date,” Rajakovic said. “That's my approach with all the players on the roster, doesn't matter if they're rookies or veteran players. I'm trying to help them the best way I can to be better, to be better for themselves and to be better for the team. I do think [my experience has] helped me in a lot of situations to connect with them better.”

As an assistant in his previous stops – Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Memphis – Rajakovic worked closely with former Raptor Serge Ibaka, All-NBA guard Devin Booker and a couple of emerging stars in Mikal Bridges and Desmond Bane, among several others, and many have credited him for his part in their growth.

The demands of his new gig make it more difficult to devote one-on-one time to any particular player, but that hasn’t stopped Rajakovic, who’s frequently on the court working with guys after practice. He’s also looking forward to doing more hands-on teaching over the summer. However, his innate ability to connect with people transcends basketball. It’s in his daily interactions that have gone a long way in building trust with his players.

“Whether it’s a simple conversation of how you’re doing or randomly bringing guys into his office throughout the season just to see where they’re at mentally, he has a positive mindset and a professional approach,” Trent said.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=0YpMScWXY2zRUqR8fH-usg

From an unprecedented lawsuit implicating him and several members of his staff in the alleged theft of proprietary information before coaching his first game to a late-season gambling scandal involving one his players, franchise-altering trades, season-ending injuries and an ever-changing roster, few have been tested like Rajakovic has right out of the gate.


But in spite of the many challenges he and his team have faced on their way to a 25-55 record, with only two games in Miami remaining on the schedule, there’s something commendable about the way they’re closing out a lost campaign.

You could see it in the way they fought to upset the second-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and avoid a historic losing streak last week, or in the way the inactive starters supported their young teammates from the bench at the end of a surprisingly competitive Game 80 defeat in Brooklyn on Wednesday.

The Raptors have now dropped 17 of their last 19 contests, a stretch that included their 15-game skid. They’ve been without their all-star and best player, Scottie Barnes, and starting centre, Jakob Poeltl, since they each underwent hand surgery in early March. They’ve played games without most of – and, in a few cases, all – their regular starters and, as such, have suffered some of the franchise’s worst losses ever.

But where other teams may have thrown in the towel, splintered or tuned out the coach, this one hasn’t. That’s a credit to the leader of the locker room, a man whose message and sunny temperament have not wavered from his first day on the job.

“More times than not, the team is going to take on the coach’s disposition,” veteran Garrett Temple said of Rajakovic. “This is his first time having a head coaching job in this league, but honestly, wherever he’s been before I would venture to guess he hasn’t had this much change, this many variables, this many things happen. So, he’s done a great job of keeping the team even keeled.”

“No matter what the situation is, no matter what the circumstances are, whether he’s got five G Leaguers out there playing at one time, his approach every day has been beautiful,” Gary Trent Jr. told TSN earlier this week. “He came into a tough situation and knew there was going to be a learning curve, but Darko has been great. Second to none when it comes to making sure team camaraderie is good, making sure everybody is still focused in, trying to make sure everybody feels included, making everybody feel like they’re cared about and thought about.”

Those qualities were considered prerequisites when the Raptors began their coaching search last summer. No disrespect to Nick Nurse, a clever tactician who spent 10 years in Toronto, including five as a head coach, and led the club to its first ever championship in 2019. But after last season’s team fell short of expectations and seemed divided on the way to a 41-41 finish and play-in tournament elimination, the organization was looking for something different. Rajakovic wasn’t among the frontrunners going into the extensive interview process, but he stood out for his positivity and his ability to relate to and connect with players.

The 45-year-old came with rave reviews from his peers, players and former employers. With nearly three decades of experience as a coach in his native Serbia, Spain, the G League and as an assistant in the NBA, the Raptors felt that he could command the respect of their veteran core, assuming they had opted to keep it together beyond this season. But in the event that they decided to go younger and pivot towards a rebuild, Rajakovic’s background in player development would make him an ideal fit.

“At the end of the day, every player wants to get better and from my experience that does not have an expiration date,” Rajakovic said. “That's my approach with all the players on the roster, doesn't matter if they're rookies or veteran players. I'm trying to help them the best way I can to be better, to be better for themselves and to be better for the team. I do think [my experience has] helped me in a lot of situations to connect with them better.”

As an assistant in his previous stops – Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Memphis – Rajakovic worked closely with former Raptor Serge Ibaka, All-NBA guard Devin Booker and a couple of emerging stars in Mikal Bridges and Desmond Bane, among several others, and many have credited him for his part in their growth.

The demands of his new gig make it more difficult to devote one-on-one time to any particular player, but that hasn’t stopped Rajakovic, who’s frequently on the court working with guys after practice. He’s also looking forward to doing more hands-on teaching over the summer. However, his innate ability to connect with people transcends basketball. It’s in his daily interactions that have gone a long way in building trust with his players.

“Whether it’s a simple conversation of how you’re doing or randomly bringing guys into his office throughout the season just to see where they’re at mentally, he has a positive mindset and a professional approach,” Trent said.

We shall see - one of the easiest positions to be in as an NBA head coach is when the roster is labelled as "rebuilding". Takes off all the pressure as a coach. Reality is he wasn't able to bring together a roster chalk full of talent (OG and Pascal major contributors on very good teams), so for me that's a strike against him.

His rotations and substitutions in actual games (not the past two months) show there needs to be a lot of growth.

I'm thinking he will take a leap next year as he seems open to learning things, but he is no way close yet to Nick Nurse, Dwayne Casey, Sam Mitchell, Lenny Wilkens, or even Butch Carter.

[Chandan]

“At the end of the day, every player wants to get better and from my experience that does not have an expiration date,” Rajakovic said. “That's my approach with all the players on the roster, doesn't matter if they're rookies or veteran players. I'm trying to help them the best way I can to be better, to be better for themselves and to be better for the team. I do think [my experience has] helped me in a lot of situations to connect with them better.”

As an assistant in his previous stops – Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Memphis – Rajakovic worked closely with former Raptor Serge Ibaka, All-NBA guard Devin Booker and a couple of emerging stars in Mikal Bridges and Desmond Bane, among several others, and many have credited him for his part in their growth.

The demands of his new gig make it more difficult to devote one-on-one time to any particular player, but that hasn’t stopped Rajakovic, who’s frequently on the court working with guys after practice. He’s also looking forward to doing more hands-on teaching over the summer. However, his innate ability to connect with people transcends basketball. It’s in his daily interactions that have gone a long way in building trust with his players.

“Whether it’s a simple conversation of how you’re doing or randomly bringing guys into his office throughout the season just to see where they’re at mentally, he has a positive mindset and a professional approach,” Trent said.

sounds like a great assistant coach.

[tanuki1031]

Not a good sign when the primary endorsements are coming from Temple and GTJ.

[MEDIC]

“At the end of the day, every player wants to get better and from my experience that does not have an expiration date,” Rajakovic said. “That's my approach with all the players on the roster, doesn't matter if they're rookies or veteran players. I'm trying to help them the best way I can to be better, to be better for themselves and to be better for the team. I do think [my experience has] helped me in a lot of situations to connect with them better.”

As an assistant in his previous stops – Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Memphis – Rajakovic worked closely with former Raptor Serge Ibaka, All-NBA guard Devin Booker and a couple of emerging stars in Mikal Bridges and Desmond Bane, among several others, and many have credited him for his part in their growth.

The demands of his new gig make it more difficult to devote one-on-one time to any particular player, but that hasn’t stopped Rajakovic, who’s frequently on the court working with guys after practice. He’s also looking forward to doing more hands-on teaching over the summer. However, his innate ability to connect with people transcends basketball. It’s in his daily interactions that have gone a long way in building trust with his players.

“Whether it’s a simple conversation of how you’re doing or randomly bringing guys into his office throughout the season just to see where they’re at mentally, he has a positive mindset and a professional approach,” Trent said.

sounds like a great assistant coach.

Sounds like a good leader for a young/ developing team.

Once this group has some success, it will be interesting to see if he can shift his focus from "developing" to "performance" & get the most out of them.

He may or may not be the long term guy, but he's the right guy for right now.

[Dalek]

Losing is an easy habit to form, just ask Detroit, Charlotte and Washington who are perpetually losing. The Wiz took their first step towards real development like us this year, but they have a long losing track record. Detroit and Charlotte are always in the lottery because they are always waiting to take steps.

I understand that you need to develop and build talent, but between Scottie, Quick, and Barrett and even Poeltl we have some pieces that can win now. Kind of like Houston did this year where they got a coach who had an actual play style and defensive identity that got them close to a play-in after they signed Fred and Dillon.

If we keep Darko we are possibly on a path where our current stars will eventually want out. Scottie doesn't like the losing and Quick and RJ just came from a winning culture.

To me, all Darko has focused on is player development and culture, and a bit of free flowing offense. The defense fell off a cliff this year and it is one of the worst seasons I have ever seen for margin of losses. We lost multiple times to the worst teams in the league. This year just doesn't sit quite right.

[MEDIC]

I agree about the defense. I am a defense first guy. I am willing to give him one more season to see if he can improve the situation.

I really enjoyed watching Orlando this season. They competed hard on the defensive end.

I think as an organization, the goal should always be to have a top 10 defense. If not, something has to change.

[HangTime]

Darko has had to go through like 5 version of this team.

Let's see what happens when we can give him something relatively stable.

[Scase]

Losing is an easy habit to form, just ask Detroit, Charlotte and Washington who are perpetually losing. The Wiz took their first step towards real development like us this year, but they have a long losing track record. Detroit and Charlotte are always in the lottery because they are always waiting to take steps.

I understand that you need to develop and build talent, but between Scottie, Quick, and Barrett and even Poeltl we have some pieces that can win now. Kind of like Houston did this year where they got a coach who had an actual play style and defensive identity that got them close to a play-in after they signed Fred and Dillon.

If we keep Darko we are possibly on a path where our current stars will eventually want out. Scottie doesn't like the losing and Quick and RJ just came from a winning culture.

To me, all Darko has focused on is player development and culture, and a bit of free flowing offense. The defense fell off a cliff this year and it is one of the worst seasons I have ever seen for margin of losses. We lost multiple times to the worst teams in the league. This year just doesn't sit quite right.

This is insanely reactionary. It's been less than a full season, pump the brakes. If we are in the bottom 6 for 4 years in a row, yeah sure. But sweet jesus, he hasn't even had the "permanent" roster for 4 months.

[ash_k]

Not a good sign when the primary endorsements are coming from Temple and GTJ.

and it didnt look good when RJ and IQ laughed at his "teaching" on the bench , a few games ago. And after all those guys have had legendary coaches (Coack K, John Calipari & Thibodeau)

[Raps in 4]

Losing is an easy habit to form, just ask Detroit, Charlotte and Washington who are perpetually losing. The Wiz took their first step towards real development like us this year, but they have a long losing track record. Detroit and Charlotte are always in the lottery because they are always waiting to take steps.

I understand that you need to develop and build talent, but between Scottie, Quick, and Barrett and even Poeltl we have some pieces that can win now. Kind of like Houston did this year where they got a coach who had an actual play style and defensive identity that got them close to a play-in after they signed Fred and Dillon.

If we keep Darko we are possibly on a path where our current stars will eventually want out. Scottie doesn't like the losing and Quick and RJ just came from a winning culture.

To me, all Darko has focused on is player development and culture, and a bit of free flowing offense. The defense fell off a cliff this year and it is one of the worst seasons I have ever seen for margin of losses. We lost multiple times to the worst teams in the league. This year just doesn't sit quite right.

No it's not. Losing isn't a habit. It results from a lack of talent on the roster.

[Raps in 4]

I agree about the defense. I am a defense first guy. I am willing to give him one more season to see if he can improve the situation.

I really enjoyed watching Orlando this season. They competed hard on the defensive end.

I think as an organization, the goal should always be to have a top 10 defense. If not, something has to change.

We had one of the best defensive coaches in the league last year, and the team was miserable to watch according to most fans.