TORONTO – It’s even becoming tough for the usually sunny Darko Rajakovic to put a positive light on the Toronto Raptors’ season.
The Raptors lost all five games on a West Coast road trip. dropping Toronto into the very bottom of the NBA standings with a 2-10 record. Rajakovic had set an optimistic tone for the team at training camp but when the head coach was asked on Thursday if everyone was still getting along in the locker room, he was direct.
“We are in a rebuilding year. We’re focusing on developing our young guys,” Rajakovic said courtside at the OVO Athletic Centre. “As you can see in the games, our guys are cheering for each other. They want them to succeed. They want their teammates to do well.
“We’ve got to focus on day-to-day. We cannot be looking at wins and losses at this point. We’ve got to focus on us getting better.”
Rajakovic had to rhyme off a litany of injury updates at the start of his post-practice scrum with five key players inactive.
All-star forward Scottie Barnes (right orbital fracture), starting point guard Immanuel Quickley (partially torn UCL), veteran forward Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery), backup centre Kelly Olynyk (lumbar strain) of Kamloops, B.C., and first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter (right shoulder sprain) will all likely be unavailable when Toronto hosts the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
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All five participated in Thursday’s practice to some degree, however.
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Barnes wore a mask on the court but was not cleared for contact. Quickley was allowed to work out but couldn’t use his left hand. Olynyk could be seen taking layups but, along with Brown, was not cleared for contact. Walter did shooting drills as well and will have an update on Tuesday.
“I would say that the chemistry on the team is really good,” said Rajakovic. “Guys are supporting each other. That doesn’t mean that we’re not frustrated, and that doesn’t mean that we don’t want to win games and do better.”
One bright spot has been the play of sophomore swingman Gradey Dick.
He had a career-high 32 points in Toronto’s 99-85 loss to the Bucks in Milwaukee. He’s second only to RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., on the team in scoring with 20.1 points per game.
Dick said that everyone on the Raptors is working to stay upbeat.
“No one is trying to be down. No one wants to bring a bad vibe to the locker room,” said Dick, who averaged 18.8 points over the five-game losing skid. “I feel like the guys that we have on this team and the chemistry that we already have built, no one’s gonna let each other do that.
“I feel like, the big talking point (this morning) was just being resilient, and the importance of resilience.”
Dick’s progression this season has been a pleasant surprise, buoyed by his increased minutes with Quickley and Barnes out.
“I think I’m just locking in with the team efforts and knowing what I need to do for my role,” said Dick, who would likely be the fourth or even fifth scoring option in Toronto’s starting lineup if everyone was healthy. “If some guys are out, then maybe step up in different places.
“I feel like just my energy, I feel like I try to push it up and down the court and gain my offence from my defence.”
Rajakovic said that it has helped that Dick has diversified his offence from just being a spot-up shooter in his rookie season.
“He’s been more in some of the pick-and-rolls, bringing the ball in transition, and all of those are new things for him,” said the second-year head coach. “We’re learning as much as he’s learning at the same time.”
Although Barrett leads the Raptors with 21.3 points per game this season, he slumped through Toronto’s road trip with an average of 15.4 points on 33 per cent field-goal percentage and a 19.4 per cent three-pointer percentage.
“I think that he’s been improving in his pick-and-roll efficiency and decision-making, but a lot of times he’s playing now in the paint with a lot of length and not a lot of outlets, and that’s not helping him or helping us,” said Rajakovic, noting that the absence of Barnes and Quickley is making it easier for teams to double-team Barrett. “So I think it’s a part of his progress.
“He’s got to learn how to be in those situations and how to play make in those situations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
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