If the trade for Kawhi Leonard goes through as planned, the Toronto Raptors will find themselves in a very different position than last season. Making the playoffs alone won’t be considered a success. They need to win in the postseason to make it worth the draft assets it costs to get Leonard.
The decision to chase a championship veteran accelerated the Raptors’ timeline. They are now asking young players, who are fresh off their first playoff appearance, to play key roles for a team that wants to compete with the top of the league. Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jamal Shead have to be ready. There’s no time to wait around and give them grace as they work through the growing pains that come with being a second- or third-year player in the NBA.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic will find himself in a similar position if Leonard comes to Toronto. This year’s playoff run was his first as a head coach. For the past three seasons, his task was to develop players and prepare them for the next level. Now, barring the worst-case scenario that the trade falls through, the next level is here, and Rajakovic will have to go from leading a young team hoping to exceed expectations and learn to a team with serious pressure to win immediately. That’s quite the turnaround.
The Raptors have a lot of trust in Rajakovic
After the success the Raptors found this past season, the organization wasted little time giving Rajakovic a multi-year extension. They obviously trust that he is ready to take this next step as a coach and can bring his young players along with him.
Rajakovic will have to get creative with lineups and rotations next season. If everyone is healthy, he will have his work cut out for him defensively. The Raptors can put together some truly scary defensive lineups with Leonard next to the strong defenders already on the roster.
However, Leonard’s injury troubles and load management needs will force Rajakovic to adapt from game to game and figure out how to survive those absences. Moreover, the Raptors’ center depth is very thin, and they’re just one Immanuel Quickley injury away from their lack of guard depth being exposed once again.
On top of that, the Eastern Conference is a lot tougher. The Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Atlanta Hawks all made offseason moves to get better, and the Indiana Pacers will get Tyrese Haliburton back from injury. Between those teams, the Knicks, Cavs, Celtics, and Pistons, the top of the East is getting crowded. If the Raptors struggle in a tight playoff race, Rajakovic will have to carry a lot of the blame.
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