Darko Rajakovic’s trial by fire is nearly complete. With his first season as an NBA head coach reaching its merciful conclusion this weekend, the Raptors’ bench boss has had just about everything thrown at him.
With his first season as an NBA head coach reaching its merciful conclusion this weekend, the Raptors’ bench boss has had just about everything thrown at him.
The Raptors have now dropped 17 of their last 19 contests, a stretch that included their 15-game skid. They’ve been without their all-star and best player,, since they each underwent hand surgery in early March. They’ve played games without most of – and, in a few cases, all – their regular starters and, as such, have suffered some of the franchise’s worst losses ever.
The 45-year-old came with rave reviews from his peers, players and former employers. With nearly three decades of experience as a coach in his native Serbia, Spain, the G League and as an assistant in the NBA, the Raptors felt that he could command the respect of their veteran core, assuming they had opted to keep it together beyond this season. But in the event that they decided to go younger and pivot towards a rebuild, Rajakovic’s background in player development would make him an ideal fit.
“Whether it’s a simple conversation of how you’re doing or randomly bringing guys into his office throughout the season just to see where they’re at mentally, he has a positive mindset and a professional approach,” Trent said., who was benched after four underwhelming first-half minutes. McDaniels broke training camp in the rotation and has been given multiple chances to carve out a regular role this season. To say he hasn’t run away with those opportunities is putting it kindly.
“You might not hear something or a problem until you heard it from the media,” Trent said of his former head coach. “Which is fine. He gave me an opportunity of a lifetime that coaches never had before, ever, so I have nothing but love for“Darko does an amazing job trying to keep everybody included, everybody focused, everybody locked in. You can trust him. He believes in you.
“That's just how I’m wired; I want to win, and that's what I'm trying to translate to our team as well.”
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