The Serbian tactician fits seamlessly with Toronto’s developmental direction and its win-now aspiration
When Darko Rajakovic took the helm in the summer of 2023, most viewed his hiring as an indication of redirection, given the imminent and eventual departures of franchise favourites, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby. Three years later, the Raptors just made their win-now move and acquired Kawhi Leonard from the Los Angeles Clippers, albeit amid the ongoing investigation. Pairing Scottie
Barnes with a generational superstar like Leonard suddenly opened a contention window for Toronto, and it is not one they will be wasting.
Given the immense expectations surrounding this squad’s success, head coach Rajakovic will be subject to as much scrutiny as anyone on this team. History has shown us that tacticians with no prior track record will always incur skepticism from fans and media alike, especially for a team of this calibre. Take Nick Nurse as an example. He was a long-time assistant coach of the Raptors before getting a promotion, but his achievement was overshadowed by the sentiments shared regarding the firing of that year’s Coach of the Year, Dwane Casey – some dismayed, others frustrated.
Nurse’s tactics were unconventional, to say the least, going to the extent of implementing high-school defensive schemes, like the Box-and-One, in an NBA Finals game, which actually paid dividends. Nurse’s hard-nosed, no-nonsense coaching style worked for that Raptors’ iteration, which was composed mostly of seasoned players who were receptive and thick-skinned enough to endure his criticisms.
The Raptors, however, are not constructed the way they used to be anymore, and they needed a new voice to command them. Nurse was let go because of a strained relationship with management and the seemingly unadaptable style that he infused within the young group.
Rajakovic is a well-renowned developmental coach who most notably groomed the newly dispersed Memphis Grizzlies core, with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane being two of them. With an aging Leonard, surrounded by one of the NBA’s youngest rosters, there is no better coach to handle this team than Rajakovic. He is not new when it comes to refining raw talent that’ll fit seamlessly around Leonard, in hopes of winning another championship for Toronto.
Rajakovic’s Committee Approach
The main concern with the impending acquisition of Leonard has been what it has always been since his first stint almost eight years ago, and during his run with the Clippers — his load management. Assuming the trade pushes through, Leonard, now 35, will look to preserve his physical condition for the postseason, given his history with injuries. This creates a perfect scenario wherein Leonard can offload the pressure of playing heavy minutes night-in, night-out, at the same time build familiarity with Rajakovic’s system and chemistry with his teammates.
Rajakovic’s brand of coaching extends beyond his knack of unlocking players’ potential; however, the foundation of his philosophy remains in every facet of commanding a basketball team. From utilizing a deep 10-man rotation to reverting from Nurse’s effective but high-risk defensive tactics, one thing sits at its core — his preference for a committee approach.
The Raptors dished the third most assists, on average, at 29.2 per game, as Rajakovic hammered on making quick decisions with the ball, earning itself the nickname of “0.5 Offence.” Anchored in this philosophy, his players adapted instinctive cutting and constant off-the-ball movement to generate open looks, as this offence prefers high-percentage shots.
Where Nurse went all out, Darko went conservative. While Nurse was known to deploy aggressive defensive schemes, which required well-coordinated on-ball pressure, Rajakovic required only one on-ball defender across the half-court before settling to play half-court defence. It might not generate as many live-ball turnovers as Nurse did, but it also mitigates risks like leaving the corner open and allowing wide-open layups.
Due to availability concerns and player movement, Nurse made use of a traditional nine/ten-man rotation for the regular season, but narrowed it down to a condensed eight-man pool, with the starting five logging heavy minutes for every contest during their 2019 title run. On the contrary, Rajakovic kept a constant nine-man rotation in the postseason to allow himself personnel flexibility on matchups, given the injuries to Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram.
Assuming Kawhi becomes a Raptor, Rajakovic’s committee approach constructs a competitive roster that’ll accompany him in his quest for a second title, given its current state. Unlike seven years ago, this Raptors’ squad is one of the NBA’s youngest, but is also one of its most promising and emerging groups among the bunch. The inclusion of highly touted young talents like Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles meant that a reunion with Kawhi seemed more imminent than not.
Leonard was not who he was when he first got here, so is the team. With the right group of guys, a driving force like Leonard, and a coach to weave the pieces together, the Raptors might just be able to figure out a way to make it work and win the championship a second time.
