Darko Rajakovic: A New Era Begins for the Toronto Raptors
After an extensive seven-week search, the Toronto Raptors have appointed Serbian Darko Rajakovic as the 10th head coach in franchise history, replacing Nick Nurse who was fired. Rajakovic, a seasoned coach with a rich coaching background, brings a wealth of experience and a reputation for player development to the team. The Raptors are embarking on a new chapter, and comes with it is a new voice. The hiring of Rajakovic may or may not signal internal growth and a commitment to nurturing talent — as president Masai Ujiri preaches it so often — but now it’s time to look at the immediate future for the 44-year old. What’s his coaching style? What is the immediate future for the Raptors? What’s Rajakovic’s offensive scheme? Who fits and who doesn’t from the current core of players? All that and more discussed here.
How did he get here?
Darko Rajakovic began coaching in his native Serbia as a teenager, working with various club teams and gaining valuable experience. He also observed and learned from renowned American college programs, further expanding his coaching knowledge. His coaching acumen earned him opportunities at the professional level, including assistant coaching positions with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, and Memphis Grizzlies.
With a focus on player development, Rajakovic has worked closely with notable NBA stars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Devin Booker, and Jaren Jackson Jr. over the course of his career. This experience has shaped his coaching philosophy and highlighted his ability to connect with and develop young talent. One Bleacher Report article praised Rajakovic’s scouting reports at the Thunder: “Maybe that comes out of shared appreciation for assistant coach Darko Rajakovic’s incredibly incisive scouting reports.”
Players seem to have liked Rajakovic, too, and the outpouring of congratulation from current Memphis Grizzlies portrays that.
Coaching Style as a Head Coach
There are always question marks and doubts when an assistant coach transitions to a head coach, but there is a reason why the front office has picked Rajakovic, and there are snippets of him speaking in podcasts and writing blogs that suggest the fit will be seamless (more on that later). The Raptors are still in decision mode, with a choice of maintaining the ‘veteran’ core or transitioning to a youth-focused re-tooling. Rajakovic has been in every type of situation as an assistant, and those experiences will be key.
His extensive background in player development suggests that Rajakovic will prioritize nurturing and maximizing the potential of the team’s young players. This approach aligns with the Raptors’ desire to revitalize their internal growth, which has been stifled in recent seasons. The jumps weren’t large enough, and that has to change next season.
Immediate Future with the Raptors
With Rajakovic at the helm, the Raptors face essential decisions regarding player options, the NBA Draft (Jun. 22), and free agency (starts Jul. 6). The team holds the 13th pick in the upcoming draft, presenting an opportunity to acquire promising young talent to complement their roster.
Rajakovic’s player development expertise will be invaluable in evaluating and maximizing the potential of existing players, including free agents Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl, and Gary Trent Jr., as well as extension-eligible forwards Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby. There are sizeable choices to be made in the summer, and the Raptors finally have a head coach to oversee it.
With that in mind, who will and won’t fit Rajakovic’s scheme?
His Offensive Scheme
There’s not much available on Rajakovic’s defensive scheme, but he did help develop Jaren Jackson Jr. to being the Defensive Player of the Year, so take that how you want.
One area where Rajakovic is expected to make a significant impact is on the team’s offensive scheme. Known for his creativity and adaptability, Rajakovic has excelled in designing effective plays, particularly off pick-and-rolls. He wrote about the evolution of the pick-and-roll in 2009, which was co-written by current Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Synder. Pretty exciting! His ability to create different looks and exploit defensive weaknesses will inject a fresh approach into the Raptors’ offensive strategies, beyond isolation ball.
In an interview with Basketball Immersion titled ‘Installing an Offense’, Rajakovic discussed “0.5 offense”, as he called it. Basically, he wants guys to make ultra-quick decisions on the floor, leading to “great” over “good” shots, and prefers a “style” over “sets”. He paints the picture of a fluid offense, with all five players moving and being involved. Doesn’t that sound like a perfect Scottie Barnes offense?
Rajakovic’s emphasis on player development aligns with the need for the Raptors’ younger players to refine their offensive skills and contribute more consistently, too. Under his guidance, players will have the opportunity to flourish within a system tailored to their strengths, which was possibly not given under Nick Nurse last season. Malachi Flynn’s development is particularly interesting, Coach Nurse demanded Flynn to be “dirtier”, but maybe Coach Rajakovic will demand him to be “sexier” on the ball? The Raptors’ offense won’t look like a perfect Picasso drawing straight away, but Rajakovic’s scheme sounds positive and fits how the Raptors need to progress with Barnes at the helm. A season of progression is one where it doesn’t take a lot out of you to see the Raptors try and score in half-court. It was painful.
Player Fit and Future Outlook
Look, the situation is well documented at this point, but I want to focus on how the current crop can improve under the wings of the Serbian.
While it is still early to assess the exact fit for individual players under Rajakovic, his reputation for connecting with players and fostering positive relationships bodes well for the team’s cohesion and development. Rajakovic’s rapport with players like Steven Adams and Desmond Bane underscores his ability to form strong connections. It felt like there was a disconnect between Coach Nurse and the bench unit, Rajakovic should try and create more of a relationship.
Maybe Precious Achiuwa’s offense becomes more diversified with Rajakovic, maybe Christian Koloko is trusted with more minutes, maybe Jeff Dowtin Jr. finds himself in the rotation consistently. Masai Ujiri is hiring this guy to try and develop guys who have stagnated a little.
Then, we need Rajakovic’s leadership to re-establish the team’s identity and revitalize their winning culture. With a focus on player development, a creative offensive scheme, and a commitment to nurturing young talent, Rajakovic has the potential to guide the Raptors to future success. Sure, the decisions with the roster need to be correct too, but there are still going to be at least seven (Barnes, Achiuwa, Koloko, Porter, Dowtin, Flynn, and Poeltl) guys who remain. Let’s try and develop them, too.
So, the new chapter begins now. No more worrying about a new head coach. Pivotal decisions are to be made, and then we can finally start working on this team when all is said and done, participating in Summer League from Jul. 7 to Jul. 17, and looking towards the future. To some, there’s a tunnel with no light. Rajakovic’s job is to now create that light.
