The Toronto Raptors needed to hire a head coach at the start of the 2023 offseason while still remaining in lockstep with the franchise’s directive to make Scottie Barnes as lethal as possible. Masai Ujiri may have solved that issue by hiring former Memphis Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic.
Not only is Rajakovic a coach with a history of sterling player development, but he is coming from a Memphis team that ran a Mike Budenhozler facsimile that was one of the best and most efficient offenses in the league. Bringing that to a new-look Toronto team should only benefit Barnes.
While Fred VanVleet is gone and Pascal Siakam’s status remains up in the air due to the deluge of trade rumors, the Raptors know that Barnes will be in town for 2023 and a focal point of everything they do. In Markquis Nowell’s breakout Summer League game, Rajakovic got fans excited about Barnes’ future.
Rajakovic said that he wants the ball in Barnes’ hands more this season. While he did call last season a “small step back,” Rajakovic noted that such a move is often necessary to “take a huge leap forward.” Count Rajakovic all the way in on the Barnes resurgence.
Darko Rajakovic says on the broadcast he wants to put the ball in Scottie Barnes' hands a lot more
— Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) July 7, 2023
"Sometimes you need to make a small step back to take a huge leap forward and we're really hoping for Scottie to have a breakout year for us."
Toronto Raptors: Darko Rajakovic is excited about Scottie Barnes.
Barnes made strides as a playmaker last season, but his scoring flatlined at 15.3 points per game. With VanVleet going to Houston, a good of deal of his shots and on-ball attention will likely be allocated over to Barnes in what could be a pivotal third season.
Rajakovic played a part in making Ja Morant the rim-destroying dynamo he has become while helping Desmond Bane receive a very lucrative contract thanks to his elite shooting. Passing some of that wisdom along to Barnes will help his ascendence to star level.
While the Raptors did agree to terms with Dennis Schroder and could still be in the trade market for another point guard, Rajakovic could get extra creative and make Barnes the de facto PG in the starting lineup. Such a move would be risky, but it would allow Barnes to take full advantage of his passing skills.
“He wants to be the Defensive Player of the Year. This is his great ambition”
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BasketballOnX) July 6, 2023
- Darko Rajaković on Scottie Barnes pic.twitter.com/espXVVtpRl
Masai Ujiri would not have hired Rajakovic unless he had a solid gold plan for turning Barnes into one of the best young players in the game. Darko’s comments seem to hint that Barnes will be at the center of everything Toronto tries to do next season.