As the City of Toronto revels in World Series hoopla with the Blue Jays front and center, we mustn't forget the equally beloved Raptors either, who had their home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 24. Riding off a commanding season opener victory over the Atlanta Hawks, Toronto returned home with their eyes set on a Bucks team that has seemingly lost a step in terms of star power since their 2021 title heyday.
What was once Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and company, has now become the "Greek Freak" accompanied by former Raptors swingman Gary Trent Jr., offseason add Myles Turner, and a variety of other role players. You can't count out an absolutely dominant force like Giannis Antetokounmpo though, and the Bucks' 122-116 victory can be largely attributed to his powerful performance: 31 points on 11-for-14 field goal shooting, a stellar 2-for-2 from three, a whopping 20 rebounds, seven assists, and one block. His cast mates like GTJ and Cole Anthony deserve a round of applause also, the latter of which would get a shoutout by Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic during his post-game media availability.
In that same post-game scrum, Rajakovic was asked a question regarding Immanuel Quickley's shooting, in particular his three-point shot struggles to start off the year (just 1-for-11 in the two games thus far, his lone triple made in the Bucks loss). To which the Raptors' head coach kept things super candid and expressed his dissatisfaction with IQ's early production, saying (YouTube link here):
Darko Rajakovic wants Immanuel Quickley to shoot more threes, no matter what
"... I'm not happy, because he took only four threes, he needs to shoot seven, eight threes a game, and I don't, I don't really care if he makes or doesn't make shots. Because I know he's going to make shots. He's a great shooter. He's one of the best shooters we have on the team. I have no doubts that he's going to knock down shots. He just needs to take more. "Darko Rajakovic, Oct 24, 2025
Rajakovic makes a valid point here. Although his comments are quite direct, I've come to realize that his tough love coaching style has shown to foster a positive impact on his players' success and growth. I saw it last year, especially when Rajakovic called out Ochai Agbaji. He took the constructive criticism in stride and worked to live up to his coach's expectations. Instead of simply criticizing lackluster performances or unmet expectations (pointing fingers is so easy to do when in a position of power), Rajakovic emphasizes the potential and tangible strengths of his players, reflecting a strong player-coach rapport.
At Media Day before the start of the 2025-26 season, Quickley himself said he's ready to take on a more sharpshooting, catch-and-shoot role on the team. He expressed his willingness to attempt at least "ten" three-pointers per game, knowing that much of the opposition will be focused on players like Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Scottie Barnes. Rajakovic is simply emphasizing the importance of Quickley continuing to take his shot reps and find his rhythm, regardless if the missed shots dampen his optimism in the meantime.
He's a more than capable shooter; it's just a matter of getting into a groove. The Raptors' hopeful campaign could largely depend on it.