Something is brewing with the 31st edition of the Toronto Raptors.
Media Day is typically filled with cliches, canned answers, and a handful of soundbites that satiate fanatics and meme creators alike. Head Coach, Darko Rajakovic, kicked off the 2025 Raptors Media Day with the self-proclaimed team slogan.
“We enter this season, and the motto for me is win for all. Not just win games, but win for the community, win for this country, win for each other, and win for the man next to you.”
With Masai Ujiri no longer with the team, viral quotes and inspirational messages will be harder to come by. Rajakovic, however, may have provided the quote of the season. Nobody within the Raptors’ organization — players, coach, executive — has as much pressure as Darko. In his first season, Rajakovic endured a revolving door of personnel changes, thanks to in-season trades of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. Darko’s second season was doomed to fail from the jump. Whether it was Masai’s admission that the team was entering rebuild mode or the team’s tanking efforts, Rajakovic, again, had little expectation to produce winning basketball. Now, for the first time in his tenure as an NBA Head Coach, Darko has expectations to win!
As cliché as it may sound, ‘Win for All’ is as clear as any indicator that the Raptors are turning a corner on the ‘rebuilding’ mantra that hung over last year’s Media Day. Every single Raptor that stepped up on stage mentioned winning.
“I think our expectations for our team are definitely to be in the playoffs. Win some games in the playoffs. That’s the standard,” said Scottie Barnes. His frontcourt partner, Jakob Poeltl, also quipped, “We also knew that we didn’t want to be stuck in a rebuilding phase for a long time. We wanted to do what’s necessary to be a winning team again, as soon as possible.” Also adding his two cents on the winner’s mentality was RJ Barrett, who said, “We’re all unselfish players, and we’re trying to win. That’s really all it is. If you’re trying to win, you’ll do the right things.”
RJ’s comments are fascinating because, while the messaging has been clear about what the team wants to do, the organization has also laid the foundation for how it will be achieved: Accountability and Communication.
In addition to replacing the word “rebuild” with “win” (or other win-adjacent synonyms), everyone who spoke at Media Day referenced open communication — especially on the defensive end — as a pillar for success. Strong communication would not be possible without accountability.
No egos
When asked about how the Raptors will play the “right way”, RJ answered with conviction, “We don’t have egos over here. Everybody wants to win. And that’s coming from me, who’s probably one of the most confident guys you’ve ever met in your life.” The proof has been in the pudding. During the second half of last season, the Raptors had a top-3 defense, despite the absence of most, if not all the projected starting lineup. Whether it was Jamal Shead forcing an 8-second violation, or Ja’Kobe Walter hitting a game-winner, or Jonathan Mogbo getting a triple-double, Darko had his squad playing selfless basketball and holding each other accountable. That mentality leaked into Summer League where the Raptors played a menacing style of defense and finished the round robin as the top seed.
“We just have players that are here with a good mindset of coming to help the team win. It’s not just about any single or individual player. I think that’s what you need. So, that way, we can have conversations with each other.” RJ added, “It’s great to be on a team where we move the ball and we play defense and we care about each other…..we’re all friends, we all hang out.”
Darko mentioned his staff working with various individuals throughout the summer. Jamal hosted several teammates in a mini camp. Raptors Social showed players at popular attractions throughout the offseason: Blue Jays game, Canada’s Wonderland, Toronto FC game. The camaraderie is palpable up and down the roster.
Almost everyone spoke about the need to push the pace on offense, harkening back to the later years with Nick Nurse when Toronto had one of the best transition offenses. That fits the narrative of a Raptors squad that will play hyper-aggressive defense, generating fast-break opportunities from steals and quick outlets. While accountability and teamwork will be key in that respect, communication will be just as paramount. Immanuel Quickley spoke about the importance of communication, “We have to be collectively, vocally, talking to each other. It’s better for someone to say the wrong thing than for anybody to say nothing at all.”
IQ is on a mission to prove his doubters wrong. After signing a hefty (at the time) contract extension last year, he was unable to prove his worth, missing 49 games last season. With Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram orchestrating the offense, Quickley won’t be asked to play the traditional role that a Point Guard embodies. He spoke of increasing his 3-pointers from 7 attempts to 10 per game. Communication is one thing, but IQ also understands he’ll be asked to do more defensively, “The ball pressure, I’m still learning. Darko and the coaches are on me all the time…….been on a track and played all summer. So just trying to up the conditioning and just try to be in tip top shape.”
Quickley was the last player to take the podium on Media Day, and one of his last answers was relatable to the team’s outlook. When asked about books he’s currently reading, he mentioned a book called “Don’t believe everything you think.” Not much is expected from this year’s Toronto Raptors. The team only has 1 season over .500 since the pandemic ruined its chances of a repeat championship. Scottie is entering his 5th season and still doesn’t have a playoff series win, despite already being crowned the face of the franchise. Darko has no more excuses and will be expected to produce wins. Heaps of pressure will be on Brandon to help turn around the team. A lot of media and fans have their doubts about what this group can accomplish. But with a formula for success in place — being accountable and openly communicating — maybe it’s time for everyone to stop believing what they think. And maybe, just maybe, there will be plenty of wins for all this season!
