Raptors have ‘clean slate’ heading into new season
Global News
Head coach Darko Rajakovic is putting on his foreman's helmet as the Toronto Raptors lean into developing their young core this season.
TORONTO – Head coach Darko Rajakovic is putting on his foreman’s helmet as the Toronto Raptors lean into developing their young core this season.
Rajakovic thinks the Raptors have a “clean slate” in his second year in Toronto and team president Masai Ujiri called it a rebuild — a term he had previously avoided — on Monday. Rajakovic spoke in construction terms at Raptors media day at Scotiabank Arena, with the venue itself still in the midst of renovations.
“The first thing that you do when you’re building a house, you need to find land where you want to build your house,” said Rajakovic. “After that you need to dig a really big hole so you can make your basement and work on the foundation of the house.
“A lot of the time, from the street, you cannot see what’s going on. You cannot see the results very quickly. But those are the most important steps we’re going to be making right now.”
Ujiri tore the Raptors roster down last season in a series of trades that essentially ended Toronto’s 2019 NBA championship era. That included sending steady defenders O.G. Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa to the New York Knicks for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont. It also meant trading all-star forward Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers in another blockbuster deal.
That turnover and a series of injuries to key players like all-star forward Scottie Barnes and starting centre Jakob Poeltl led to a disastrous 25-57 record in Rajakovic’s first season as an NBA head coach.
Toronto also restocked its depth, making trades during the NBA Draft to bring in four young prospects: Ja’Kobe Walter (19th overall), Jonathan Mogbo (31st), Jamal Shead (45th) and Ulrich Chomche (57th).
Rajakovic said that when the Raptors rebuild gets to the more apparent features of his metaphor like putting up walls, a roof, and windows, it will be thanks to work behind the scenes.
