Media day pocket book: Defence nonetheless identify of the sport as Raptors take subsequent step

TORONTO — When you consider what a Toronto Raptor seems like, how a Raptor performs, what feeling or emotion they embody, a number of photographs come to thoughts. The stubbornness of a Kyle Lowry, the flexibility of a Scottie Barnes, the win-by-any-means defensive relentlessness of a Collin Murray-Boyles.

In that, Kawhi Leonard has at all times been the celebrity who greatest exemplifies the Raptors. It’s not concerning the aptitude in Toronto, or shine over substance; it’s a lunchpail and hard-hat model of play, one which Leonard’s sport over time most accurately fits.

So it solely is sensible that, with the 2019 champ again on the town, that aspect of the ball could be the Raptors’ calling card as soon as extra. 

“We’re gonna be a top-five defensive team again,” head coach Darko Rajakovic asserted at Monday’s media day. 

It’s not a foul wager, however he could also be promoting the crew — and himself — quick. 

Under his steerage, the Raptors went from the Twenty sixth-ranked defence within the 2023-24 season (his first with the crew) to the seventeenth in 2024-25, and at last, the fifth-best unit final 12 months, capping issues off with a 113.0 defensive score. 

Taking the highest spot from the Oklahoma City Thunder, who completed with a 107.7 defensive score final 12 months, actually gained’t be a simple activity, however with Barnes on the head and Leonard shut behind, and with a number of contributors littered all through, a four-spot climb up these end-of-year rankings, as in comparison with the larger jumps the Raptors took in years prior, shouldn’t be too daunting. 

At least Barnes doesn’t suppose so. 

“Dangerous,” Barnes stated of how he thinks the Raptors’ defence will look this season. “We can be real dangerous on that end of the floor. Just with our personnel, we got guys that move their feet really well, picking up full court. It’s starting from 94 feet throughout the whole game. We just got bodies and bodies, that’s gonna be able to work. With our personnel, we’re gonna be trying a lot of different things and seeing what works.”

Motivating Barnes to take one other step on defence is his snub from final 12 months’s NBA awards ceremonies. 

Though he earned a spot on the NBA’s all-defensive squad for the primary time in his five-year profession, he needed to accept a spot on the second crew. That’s regardless of ending with the third-most defensive win shares (4.5), sixth-best defensive field plus-minus (2.3), and a highlight-compilation of buzzer-beating blocks. 

To Rajakovic, that second-team end was “not fair — he deserved to be on the first all-defensive team,” however to Barnes, it felt extra like disrespect than a query of equity. 

“I feel like I’m… I know I’m one of the best defensive players in the world,” he stated, taking a assured tone indicative of the self-assuredness you’d need from a No. 1 choice. “I wanna say how I really feel. It just felt kind of disrespectful that I didn’t make it [onto the first-team all-defence]. I know for sure I’ll be on there this year, make that statement.” 

It’s not about feeling anymore, it’s about having that diploma of certainty, that not solely can they deal with any crew on any given night time, that they will beat any crew on any given night time. That all begins with defence.

“It’s gonna be real scary,” Barnes stated.

I wish to be part of it, New York, New York

Ask DeMar DeRozan, it’s by no means simple watching the crew you helped construct win a title with out you. 

While not a one-for-one state of affairs, provided that RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are a pair years faraway from their time in New York, watching the Knicks lastly scale the mountain after a 53-year wait might be bittersweet for Toronto’s ex-Big Apple brothers. 

But there’s no unhealthy blood from Barrett and Quickley, relatively, a way of satisfaction that, in their very own approach, they performed a job in serving to marching bands of Manhattan sound their drums as soon as extra.

“I still have a lot of friends over there, so, you know, I was kind of happy for them. That they’re able to achieve that,” Barrett stated of the Knicks’ NBA championship. “Also because, when I got drafted, the team was horrible. And then I’ve been to the playoffs twice over there, so I definitely was able to have a small part in them getting to where they are now, so I felt a little pride in that. The mayor shouted out Quick and I, so I have a little pride in just being able to help something like that.”

Added Quickley: “I’m just a fan of basketball. Period. So just to see high-level basketball [was exciting]. I was with a lot of those guys for like three or four years. So just seeing hard work… it just pays off. You see guys work day in and day out, it just keeps my aspirations high, because you never know when it’s gonna be your turn. So you gotta continue to come into work every single day.”

Well, with the expectations for the Raptors this 12 months, outlined by basic supervisor Bobby Webster, Rajakovic, and Toronto’s star duo of Leonard and Barnes, it might very nicely be their flip this season. 

Quickley, who needed to sit out the first-round collection towards the Cavaliers final May, labored closely on his inside scoring this summer time, making an attempt to determine higher driving angles and add layers to his extra perimeter-oriented sport. 

Barrett, in the meantime, spent the summer time away from the Canadian males’s senior crew, however took a extra all-around strategy to enhancing. Heading into his eighth season within the NBA, he’s assured in his capacity to have an effect on successful, however feels there’s extra to return, particularly after watching New York break the glass ceiling. 

“It definitely motivated [me] to get the job done over here,” Barrett stated of watching the Knicks. “I feel we’ve got a very good crew and we’re beginning to have sufficient expertise to get it achieved.” 

Trading for Leonard was an all-in transfer, a window being pressured open. That doesn’t imply that the Raptors are something near a completed product, nevertheless. 

Age-wise, the Raptors are everywhere in the spectrum. Leonard, on-paper, is previous his prime heading into his age-35 season — his MVP-calibre play final season would beg to vary— and Jakob Poeltl is formally on the flawed aspect of 30; Barrett and Quickley, 26 and 27, respectively, are firmly of their prime, whereas Barnes is simply on the brink at 25; and children Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter and Allen Graves symbolize the subsequent group of contributors. 

Despite the generational divide, in Rajakovic’s eyes, there’s room to develop, no matter age and win-now expectations.

“What actually excites me is the event of each different participant on the crew,” Rajakovic stated, making it clear that Leonard isn’t the one straw that stirs this drink. “Jamal [Shead], Quickley, RJ — you noticed how he took a step within the playoffs, we anticipate him to proceed there — CMB, we added Allen Graves who’s additionally nice defensively along with his disruption and creating steals. When Jak [Poeltl] is wholesome, when he’s on the courtroom, he helps us defensively tremendously. I feel this summer time, watching Jamison Battle, I believed that he improved quite a bit. Ja’Kobe Walter, he’s a confirmed defensive participant. 

“As you may see, it’s not one participant that’s gonna change quite a bit, nevertheless it’s a contribution of all the fellows collectively.

It’s been a summer time of labor for everybody in Toronto. Murray-Boyles improved his taking pictures and offensive play, Poeltl labored on his conditioning after a 12 months on and off the injured record, Walter “skipped leg days but he did not skip any arms,” in keeping with Rajakovic, including that he placed on 10 kilos of muscle. Even Rajakovic himself put his nostril to the grindstone, main by instance and reducing 10 kilos.

“I think, having those years… to really build up everybody that’s here now — to turn them into the players they’ve become and gain confidence — has really helped us be in this position right now,” Poeltl stated of the significance of growth up to now and current. “There was a process, and I’m really happy that we’re in a situation now where we can hopefully reap some of the fruits of our labour… The expectations are high but we’re excited for it.”