Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic has seen his team steadily improve over the past few years since he became the squad’s leader in 2023.
Rajakovic was dealt a rebuilding project upon arrival in Toronto, but he has been able to slowly develop over time. Now in his third season, Rajakovic has to deliver on some results.
“Darko Rajaković’s tenure in Toronto is already marked by a deliberate break from the isolation-heavy offenses that preceded him. He’s introduced a “0.5 offense,” a philosophy predicated on rapid decision-making: shoot, pass, or attack immediately upon the catch,” Bleacher Report contributor Lee Escobedo wrote.
“That’s led to fewer isolations (Toronto ran 3.5 more isolations per game under Nick Nurse) and more handoffs, cuts, and off-ball movement. Rajaković hasn’t hesitated to bench players who resist or struggle to adapt to the new style.
“He’s also recalibrating Scottie Barnes’s role; Rajaković said Barnes would play off-ball more this season to create harmony with Brandon Ingram handling primary duties. You can already see the architecture of a new identity. Now make the playoffs. No excuses.”
Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic on the sideline against the Atlanta Hawks. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Rajakovic came in at No. 23 in the head coach rankings Escobedo curated. The only head coaches ranked lower than him were Will Hardy (Utah Jazz), Mitch Johnson (San Antonio Spurs), Tuomas Iisalo (Memphis Grizzlies), Doug Christie (Sacramento Kings), Brian Keefe (Washington Wizards), Jordi Fernandez (Brooklyn Nets) and rookie Jordan Ott (Phoenix Suns).
The team is buying into Rajakovic’s vision as the players have learned under him for a few seasons now. This puts the Raptors at an advantage over other teams trying to figure out their identity and system.
“For us everything starts on (the) defensive end,” Rajakovic said via Sportsnet contributor Ian Finlayson.
“We want to dominate on (the) defensive end, we want to be disruptive on (the) defensive end, we want to be able to create a lot of steals and a lot of opportunities for us to run in transition. And when we do that it’s going to be much easier for us to score. It’s going to be much easier for us to get in offence.”
The Raptors had the 17th-best defense last season, so if they can improve slightly in that category, Rajakovic could have the team back in the playoffs in 2026.
In the meantime, the Raptors are taking on the Milwaukee Bucks. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.
