A few thoughts on Toronto’s rookie coach
While watching the Toronto Raptors noble attempt at a comeback victory in Portland, Christina turned to me and asked whether I thought Coach Darko Rajakovic would be ‘one and done’. Given how miserable his first opportunity as an NBA head coach has been so far, it’s a worthy question, and the right time to be bringing it up. After all, we’re three-quarters of the way through a disastrous season, for which he must bear some of the blame. But are his mistakes egregious enough for Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster to decide that the gutsy decision (my reaction when he was announced was ‘another rookie coach for the Raptors?’) has failed?
Let’s start at the beginning, i.e., Game One. The starters in a tight victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves were Dennis Schroder, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl. Fast-forward to Game 65, a blown-lead defeat in Denver. Our starters were RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk, Grady Dick, Ochai Agbaji, and Bruce Brown. Three of the Game One guys have been traded away, and the other two are in street clothes for weeks due to injury. Yes, that’s a complete turnover, so much so that the player who had the most time as a Raptor among the starters was Gradey Dick – the rookie. There’s a factoid so absurd it defies belief.
Playing poker with no face cards
Whatever long-term plans Darko may have drawn up during pre-season have departed to the Great Bit Bucket in the Sky. He can’t be blamed for the turnover in the roster. The coach doesn’t acquire the players; that’s the assignment of the front office. It’s the coach’s task to determine a game plan specific to each opponent, and the tactics to carry it out. If he doesn’t have the personnel to do so, is that his fault for drawing up hopeless plans, or the suits, for not getting him the bodies?
I submit that Darko doesn’t have anywhere near the roster needed to compete in today’s NBA. Poeltl and Olynyk, our centers, would be excellent if combined into one player, but I’m pretty sure that’s illegal. There’s no true point guard, although Immanuel Quickley’s audition is impressive. While the Raptors are no longer the worst 3-point shooting team, a 35.6% success rate isn’t nearly strong enough to compete. And here’s a shocking stat to ponder: the Raptors rank second-last in free-throw percentage, at 74.8, while OKC leads the pack at 83.2. Both teams average almost exactly the same number of tries, meaning the Raptors are spotting a team like OKC more than seven points just at the charity stripe. Putting than into perspective, the Raptors are minus_4.1 for the season.
There’s nobody like a DeMar DeRozan, someone whom Coach can turn to in a tie-game huddle and say “Get us a bucket”. Judging Darko on the results of the 16 games remaining in 2023-24 is of little purpose. The roster is in shambles with the latest string of injuries. There are a lot of minutes available for players on the bubble, many of whom will never get a better chance to audition.
Darko gets credit from me, because Gradey Dick is rapidly improving. A coach whose young players stagnate under his tutelage won’t last long.
Time to be soft & squishy. In the old days of pro sports, management was king. Unhappy players were often locked into long-term contracts. Today, the players are on top of the heap (except in the NFL, but that discussion is outside our purview). The NBA’s best players are millionaires before they can legally drink in all jurisdictions. Once their money is piled up to the ceiling, players’ priorities change. They want to play where they will be happy, and they want to win championships. The coach is an important contributor as to whether those boxes get checked, or not.
I’m ending on a waffle: if Immanuel Quickley, who’s a Restricted Free Agent after this season, re-signs with the Raptors, then I’ll be far more inclined to argue for Darko’s return. He’s already on the plus side with me, and Quickley’s return will clinch it.
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