Raptors confident Rajakovic can lead them through next phase of rebuild and beyond

TORONTO – The biggest test of Darko Rajakovic’s fledgling NBA coaching career came in the middle of his second season, just as the calendar flipped to 2025.

Between early December and mid-January, the Toronto Raptors dropped 16 of 17 games. But it wasn’t just that they were losing games, it was how they were losing them. Five of their nine-worst losses of the season came during that five-week stretch, including a franchise-record 54-point drubbing in Boston on New Year's Eve.

It got particularly ugly around Christmas time. The seemingly endless barrage of early-season injuries was taking a toll. Energy and effort were lacking across the roster. Collectively, it appeared as though the team was beginning to take its foot off the gas and succumb to the realities of a lost campaign.

This season was never going to be judged by wins and losses. Process was always supposed to be more important than the result, and despite a 7-15 record going into the December skid, the team was surprisingly competitive and showing impressive togetherness and resolve. But it’s one thing to build camaraderie during the summertime or have good vibes in training camp. How would it hold up once adversity struck?

In four games going into the New Year, they allowed an average of 138.8 points and lost those contests by a combined 126 points. That’s the type of thing that can break a team’s spirit, divide a locker room, and prompt players to start tuning out the message and turning on the coach. Instead, it galvanized them and reaffirmed something to the people in charge: they had found the right guy to steer them through the early stages of their rebuild.

Rajakovic emerged as a dark horse candidate in Toronto’s 2023 coaching search. A long-time NBA assistant with Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Memphis, the 46-year-old native of Serbia came highly regarded for his background in player development and ability to cultivate lasting relationships, both prerequisites for a team in transition. Those qualities have come in handy, with two tumultuous seasons on the job (nearly) in the books. 

He’s been tasked with building a winning culture from the ground up and adhering to the front office’s long-term vision – priorities that aren’t always aligned – while managing an ever-changing roster due to injuries, multiple franchise-shifting trades and now, a soft tank. But he’s done it all while staying true to his roots as a coach and earning the trust of his players, without wavering or altering his approach or demeanor. That’s what helped them get through their worst stretch of the season.

“He didn’t change,” 15-year veteran Garrett Temple told TSN last week. “I think you really [get to] know somebody once adversity hits… He’s been in this league for a long time, and he understands that there’s going to be a lull. But if he stays consistent in his actions and what he does day-to-day then the team is more than likely to continue to stay consistent. If he gets crazy and changes things up, then the inconsistency may [affect] players’ focus.”

“I think that was the most crucial moment of the season, as far as our growth,” Ochai Agbaji said. “I think that he really sees the bigger picture. He’s a true professional. He doesn’t get too caught up in the bad times or in the hype. He doesn’t get too high or too low. He always keeps that same mentality. He just doubled down and told us that wasn’t our identity, those games weren’t us, and we have another level to take it to.”

And they did. The Raptors responded by winning eight of the following 10 games, including statement victories over the Warriors, Celtics and Clippers. They have the league’s best defensive rating since the all-star break, a notable improvement after ranking 26th on that end over the first 55 games, and just went 10-5 in the month of March.

The obvious caveat is that those 10 victories came against Orlando (x2), Utah (x2), Washington (x2), Philadelphia (x2), Brooklyn and Charlotte – opponents with a combined .301 winning percentage. When they host the Detroit Pistons on Friday, it will be the second time that they’ve faced a team above .500 in the past five weeks. The counter argument: it’s been almost as long since Rajakovic had anything close to a full lineup at his disposal. Brandon Ingram, who was acquired at the trade deadline, hasn’t played a minute for his new club and isn’t likely to debut until next season. Meanwhile, at least one of the team’s other starters (Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl) has rested in each of the last 14 games. With San Antonio nipping at their heels for the seventh-best draft lottery odds, expect much of the same over the final six contests.

Those decisions are above Rajakovic’s pay grade, he’s been a loyal soldier, toting the company line and getting the most out of his team, regardless of who’s in uniform on any given night. With only a few exceptions since that mid-season lull, the Raptors are back to playing plucky basketball, competing above their means, and buying in on both ends of the floor, even as the organization continues to jockey for draft positioning. It’s a credit to the man that has somehow been able to thread that needle.

 “It’s not easy to come into a situation where you’re rebuilding and you have a team that’s pretty good, so you have to balance the front office’s wishes with the players’ [priorities],” said Temple. “But he’s great at being able to turn guys’ minds to the bigger picture of what we’re trying to accomplish three or four years down the road and then implementing ways to build the strategies to do that.”

The first step is laying the foundation. In less than two full seasons at the helm, Rajakovic has completely overhauled this team’s style of play. Their previously isolation-heavy offence is a thing of the past. As promised, he has installed a free-flowing system predicated on ball and man movement. For the second year in a row, Toronto is inside the top eight in assists after ranking 23rd in that category the season prior. But Rajakovic recently pushed back at the notion that he is an offensive-minded coach by nature. After his team ranked 26th in defence a year ago, he came into camp with an emphasis on guarding more aggressively, especially at point of attack. Months of preaching and teaching have finally started to bear fruit. The Raptors are allowing 109.3 points per 100 possessions since the all-star break, which would rank third behind OKC and Orlando over the course of the full season. They’re forcing the fourth-most turnovers over that span.

“[I’ve] seen it before,” said Rajakovic, who cited his 29 years of coaching experience across the world and at various levels of the game. “Things [don’t] happen overnight. I don’t believe in instant gratification. I don’t live in that world. I live in a world of hard work, dedication, commitment to the principles. During the course of my career, I’ve seen it work for me. I’ve seen it work for many other coaches. And every time you try to overcomplicate it and make it all about schemes, that’s a shortcut.”

With the Raptors’ decision to exercise the fourth-year option on his contract last summer, as Sportsnet’s Michael Grange recently reported, Rajakovic can afford to be a bit more patient. It’s a vote of confidence that should allow him to, at minimum, see the rebuild through without looking over his shoulder or feeling like he’s coaching for his job. But as a coaching lifer, he knows there’s no real job security in his profession – and was reminded as such again with the recent firing of his good friend and former boss Taylor Jenkins in Memphis.

Rajakovic has checked off a lot of boxes in his short time with Toronto. He’s shown that he can reimagine the way a team plays. With the emergence of several young players, he’s shown that he can empower and develop the back end of the roster, something that was lacking under his predecessor. He has been an ardent supporter of Barnes, the franchise’s best and most important player, encouraging him to be a better leader and more consistent defender.

The one thing he hasn’t done is proven that he can lead a winning team. In fairness to him, he hasn’t gotten that chance, at least not yet. But if everything goes according to plan, he will next season. With the addition of Ingram and another lottery pick, the Raptors expect to take a big step forward, start showing tangible progress and compete for a playoff spot. Meaning that, for the first time in his tenure, there will be pressure on Rajakovic.

 It’s hard to evaluate a coach’s impact at the best of times, let alone in a rebuilding situation, with makeshift lineups and an organizational mandate to chase lottery balls. On one hand, Rajakovic’s after timeout plays have been strong and he generally makes good in-game adjustments. But he also gives up too many points on the margins – his 20-22 record in coach’s challenges is among the worst in the league and having Barnes (a 77 per cent shooter) take technical free throws when Quickley (87 per cent) or Gradey Dick (86 per cent) are also on the floor has always been odd. Those small details will make a difference in close games. 

 Speaking of which, the Raptors are 10-21 in clutch games (within five points inside of the final five minutes) this season; only Utah’s record is worse. That’s where having Ingram and a healthy Quickley should be a luxury, but Rajakovic will also be charged with fitting Ingram – a former all-star who is used to having the ball in his hands – into the team’s system and next to Barnes, Barrett and Quickley.

 It’s certainly possible that Rajakovic proves to be the type of coach you bring in to help you lay the groundwork and grow your program before handing the reins over to somebody else to get you over the hump. That’s how things ultimately went down with Dwane Casey – another beloved player’s coach – in Toronto. 

 But, to a man, the Raptors believe in Rajakovic. His players rave about his passion, optimism, commitment and the way in which he always has their back. “He cares about us on and off the court,” Agbaji says. This is somebody who will run onto the court during practice, steal the ball and go in for a layup just to keep his players on their toes, somebody that Agbaji calls “more intense” than his college coach, the fiery Bill Self. This is somebody who’s knack for player development hasn’t waned despite the busy schedule of an NBA head coach; he still jumps in on individual workout sessions with star players, two-way guys and everyone in between. This is somebody who cares deeply about his players and their families, making a concerted effort to build and maintain personal relationships. 

“He literally wants to jump in the game himself,” Agbaji said. “He really is trying to be an extension of us out there as a coach. I’ve seen him grow in this past year that I’ve been here on the team. I know that being a head coach at this level in this day and age is not the easiest job, for sure, but the way he handles it and his professionalism means a lot.”

“I think his work ethic is incredible and his passion for the sport and for us as a team, for getting us better, it really shows,” said Poeltl. “You can tell in practice and games, he’s really adamant about what he wants stuff to look like and I think he has a very clear vision. He’s smart and I think he understands modern basketball really well. He’s been great for us and it’s been showing.”

 If there was ever any doubt, there shouldn’t be now; the Raptors chose the perfect coach to spearhead their rebuild. How far can he lead them? We should find out soon enough.