Media Day Notebook: Sights set on playoff berth as Raptors gear up for camp

When requested in regards to the expectations for the Toronto Raptors’ upcoming season on the group’s media day on Monday, Darko Rajaković was in lockstep with Bobby Webster, explaining that they may have a measured, incremental strategy to success.

The third-year head coach voiced comparable variations of the “win every possession” and “improve one per cent every day” platitudes that Webster, the newly named head of basketball operations, did in his availability with media on Friday.

But whereas the management group was reticent to make any daring proclamations in regards to the Raptors’ targets, the gamers’ underlying perception of their talents bubbled to the floor because the day went on.

“I think our expectations for our team is to definitely make the playoffs and win some games in the playoffs,” Scottie Barnes mentioned, within the first important departure from Rajaković and Webster’s extra tentative solutions on the topic.

“That’s the standard,” Barnes continued. “That’s the bottom line, with how talented we are and what we should be able to achieve for this team. You know we’re hungry, we’ve got a lot to prove and we’re going to go out there and show it.”

Rajaković and his whole projected beginning 5 (Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley) addressed media members on Monday, offering solutions on the state of the group because it prepares to chart a brand new course firstly of coaching camp in Calgary on Tuesday.

Here are the important thing matters that have been touched on all through the day.

Answers concerning the group’s expectations diverse, however the reality is that the Raptors are stuffed with younger starters getting into their respective primes and are fairly costly to not have eyes on the playoffs.

Mississauga native RJ Barrett did not hesitate to attract inspiration from the surprising success of his hometown Toronto Blue Jays.

“In a couple months from now it’s going to be us. That’s the mindset,” mentioned Barrett of the American League East division champions. “Definitely, obviously happy for them, cheering for them, for sure. We’re trying to get back to the playoffs as well. Trying to get back to the playoffs, make some noise.”

With the addition of Brandon Ingram to the beginning lineup — one among solely 9 gamers to common higher than 23 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists during the last 5 seasons — and Barnes getting into the primary 12 months of his $224-million rookie scale extension, it seems that the Raptors’ temporary, one-season rebuild is over and that every one focus will probably be directed in the direction of taking a step ahead within the standings.

“This is one of the most fun times, is when you have a team like this where people kind of don’t know what to expect or don’t expect much and you kind of just go and just surprise everybody,” Barrett added. “And we put in the work so we’re very confident going in.”

While Rajaković did not decide to a playoff look being the objective the identical means his gamers did, he additionally did not maintain again his need to succeed.

“I have high ambitions,” mentioned the Serbian bench boss. “I’m not shying away from that. So I’m ready for the test, I’m ready to go out there and compete.”

Starting 5 making up for misplaced time

After important time missed because of harm prevented the Raptors’ high unit from gelling absolutely final season, the projected beginning 5 have been making a concerted effort to construct chemistry within the lead-up to coaching camp.

“Intentionally, during the whole month of September when our guys were in open gym, we were putting our projected starting five to play together as much as possible,” mentioned Rajaković. “To begin exposing these issues (overlapping skillsets) and for them to get to know one another and their strengths. And I’ve been actually impressed with the flexibility of these guys to grasp who’s scorching in the mean time and who to force-feed.”

Ingram did not step on the ground for Toronto in 2024-25 and the remaining quartet performed solely 140 minutes collectively over 9 video games final season. For context, they have been the Fifteenth-most used four-man unit on the Raptors, beneath teams comparable to Barrett, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji and Davion Mitchell. League-wide, 581 four-man teams performed extra minutes final season.

Ingram and Barrett did not get a chance to play collectively final season, however they appear to already be on top of things on one another’s tendencies.

“One thing that surprised me was RJ (Barrett). I thought he was just a gunner, I thought he just shot the ball a lot,” mentioned Ingram. “But watching his game and seeing him work throughout the summer, I’ve seen what he works on and how it transfers to the game. And he’s steady. Scoring the basketball, on the defensive side he’s aggressive. And he’s a guy that doesn’t complain about not having the basketball, it kind of just attracts to him.”

Barrett’s response to Ingram’s revelations about his sport: “See, I pass the ball. I do!”

This is not the primary time the Canadian wing’s scoring proclivities have been the topic of jabs from his teammates. However, Barrett did take a authentic step as a facilitator final season. The six-foot-six wing’s assists per sport jumped from 3.3 to five.4 and his possessions as a pick-and-roll ball handler with the Raptors doubled year-over-year, from 2.3 to 4.7.

Barrett additionally famous that Ingram “drives to the rim better than he thought,” which the Raptors’ offence definitely lacked final season after they ranked final within the NBA within the proportion of their factors that got here from drives.

“I think what’s impressed me is how much everybody has bought into trying to figure out where everybody else likes to play, or wants the ball, or what they’re comfortable in,” mentioned Poeltl. “Nobody to this point appears to be going on the market making an attempt to mark their very own territory. Be like ‘hey that is how I need to do it,’ nearly all people’s asking the query ‘Hey, what do you need to do on this scenario?’

“I think that’s been really cool to see and it speaks to how everybody’s bought into trying to figure it out together.”

Quickley is the purpose guard, however the Raptors have three different wings/forwards within the beginning lineup who can deal with the ball and create pictures for his or her teammates in Barnes, Barrett, and Ingram, making for a flexible beginning 5.

Defence will stay on the forefront

From the outset of final season (beginning with media day), the Raptors positioned a newfound emphasis on defence. Particularly on the point-of-attack, with the on-ball defender being dubbed the “most important guy” or “MIG,” a title usually reserved for rim-protecting large males. It took a while for outcomes to trickle in, however over the again half of 2024-25, the Raptors boasted the second-best defensive score within the NBA.

The Toronto hoops sickos that have been tapped in for Summer League this previous July will know effectively how the Raptors’ youthful contingent wreaked havoc in opposition to opposing groups, forcing 136 turnovers over 5 video games — together with a Summer League report 33 of their first sport — with relentless ball stress.

Picking up defensive assignments increased up the ground has turn into the in vogue fashion of defence, and it solely figures to realize steam after the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder regularly picked up the bring-up ball handler effectively into the backcourt through the NBA Finals.

Applying such aggressive stress ideas takes a ton of vitality. So it is smart that Rajaković mentioned one of many group’s “main goals this summer was to get into elite shape,” citing the significance of conditioning in reaching their defensive targets of being “more aggressive on the ball” and “trying to speed up teams and make teams as uncomfortable as possible.” Even extra aggression from a Raptors defence that was among the many league leaders in common pick-up level final season is a scary prospect.

“For us everything starts on (the) defensive end,” mentioned Rajaković. “We want to dominate on (the) defensive end, we want to be disruptive on (the) defensive end, we want to be able to create a lot of steals and a lot of opportunities for us to run in transition. And when we do that it’s going to be much easier for us to score. It’s going to be much easier for us to get in offence.”

The Raptors have relied on simple transition alternatives to complement a dreadful halfcourt offence for a half decade — they’ve ranked high 5 in transition frequency for seven straight seasons. Yet, their effectivity tanked final 12 months to the fourth-worst mark within the NBA after being within the high 10 the earlier two seasons.

Rajaković will nonetheless look so as to add to the group’s fifth-ranked transition scoring mark from final season, led by Barnes’ “elite” play on the defensive finish.

“We have a lot of guys that are very willing defensive players and we’re keeping the standard so high that everybody else is rising to the task,” Rajaković mentioned. “To be trustworthy with you I don’t see a weak hyperlink for us defensively this 12 months and I’m not going to have a look at any participant on this group to present him a free go as a result of the defence isn’t on the stage that we anticipate. I’m going to maintain all people accountable to the very best requirements on the defensive finish.”