Raptors Optimistic New Leadership Can Bring More Positivity With Different Approach

The Toronto Raptors are hopeful Darko Rajakovic and new veteran leadership will bring more positive energy this season

Last season was draining.

It seemed almost from the moment training camp began that something was off for the Toronto Raptors. Maybe it wasn’t clear then, but Fred VanVleet later admitted he was running around yelling at everyone because he knew things weren’t heading in the right direction. Whether his approach to leadership was ideal can be up to interpretation, but it’s clear he was right.

For a little while, things seemed to be going OK, but Pascal Siakam’s injury and a 4-11 stretch in late November and early December quickly sent things sideways. The chemistry was never the same. We saw on-court disagreements between players and eventually a head coach all but begging to be fired.

It does, though, beg the question: Did the negativity cause the losing, or did the losing cause the negativity? The fact is both can be true. There are lots of teams that don’t get along that have post-season success. Conversely, there are plenty of lovey-dovey teams that fall flat in the season.

“Sometimes I did feel like it’s every man for themselves,” Scottie Barnes said of last season. “That’s what we’ve just really got to change.”

The Raptors have tried to do that. They brought in a new head coach Darko Rajaković who, by all accounts, is far more player-friendly than his predecessor. As team president and vice-chairman Masai Ujiri said, the organization wanted someone who could connect with the “next generation,” someone who knows how to criticize and manage younger players with a different approach.

Raptors See a Healthy Otto Porter Jr. as an Answer to Shooting Woes From Last Season

So far, the feedback has been positive.

“He’s been super receptive, communication has been great, whether it's talking about basketball, whether it's talking about his kids, his coaching journey, how he got here, his story,” said Gary Trent Jr., a noted critic of Nurse’s communication skills. “I told him as well I've been NBA six years and I've had more conversations with him about anything going than with any coach I've ever had. It's been refreshing.”

“He brings a lot of energy, he brings a lot of joy, I love that about him,” added Barnes. “I’m excited to work with him.”

There have also been some — albeit not many — changes to the veteran leadership of the group. VanVleet is playing elsewhere having signed a lucrative deal with the Houston Rockets. In his place, the Raptors have brought in Dennis Schröder and 37-year-old Garrett Temple.

“I think the vets we've got right now, they just come and bring a lot of energy,” Barnes said. “They're bringing more positivity to the situation. I feel like that's really just the difference between this year and last year.”

Raptors Detail Bigger Offensive Role for O.G. Anunoby As Free Agency Approaches

That positivity is certainly refreshing, especially for Barnes who clearly feeds off energy. At the same time, though, positivity is easy when everything is running smoothly. The 2023-24 Raptors haven’t hit turbulence yet, but over the course of an 82-game season, those bumps in the road will be coming. There will be losses, there will be benchings, scoldings, and plenty of adversity coming. How the group manages to keep that positivity in those situations will be a lot more telling than what anyone says or does before the season even begins.