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By John Chidley-Hill

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TORONTO — It’s even becoming difficult for the usually sunny Darko Rajakovic to cast a positive light on the Toronto Raptors’ season.

The Raptors lost all five games on a West Coast road trip. bringing Toronto back to the bottom of the NBA standings with a 2-10 record. Rajakovic had set an optimistic tone for the team in training camp, but when the head coach was asked on Thursday if everyone was still getting along in the locker room, he was blunt.

“We are in a year of reconstruction. We focus on the development of our young people,” Rajakovic said on the pitch at the OVO Sports Center. “As you can see in the games, our guys encourage each other. They want them to succeed. They want their teammates to succeed.

“We need to focus on the day-to-day. We cannot envisage victories and defeats at this stage. We need to focus on improving ourselves.

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Rajakovic had to give a litany of injury updates at the start of his post-practice scrimmage with five key players inactive.

Star forward Scottie Barnes (fractured right eye socket), starting point guard Immanuel Quickley (partially torn UCL), veteran forward Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery), reserve center Kelly Olynyk (lumbar sprain ) from Kamloops, British Columbia, and first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter (right shoulder sprain) likely won’t be available when Toronto hosts the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

All five, however, participated in some capacity in Thursday’s practice.

Barnes wore a mask on the field but was not allowed to make contact. Quickley was cleared to practice but could not use his left hand. Olynyk could be seen making layups but, along with Brown, was not allowed to make contact. Walter also completed shooting drills and will have an update on Tuesday.

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“I would say the chemistry within the team is really good,” Rajakovic said. “The guys support each other. That doesn’t mean we’re not frustrated, and it doesn’t mean we don’t want to win games and do better.

One bright spot was the play of second-year swingman Gradey Dick.

He scored a career-high 32 points in Toronto’s 99-85 loss to the Bucks in Milwaukee. He is second on the team in scoring behind RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., with 20.1 points per game.

Dick said everyone on the Raptors is trying to stay optimistic.

“No one is trying to be depressed. Nobody wants to bring a bad vibe into the locker room,” said Dick, who averaged 18.8 points during his five-game losing streak. “I feel like the guys we have on this team and the chemistry we’ve already built, no one is going to let that happen to us.

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“I feel like the big topic of discussion (this morning) was just resilience and the importance of resilience.”

Dick’s progression this season has been a pleasant surprise, buoyed by his increased minutes with Quickley and Barnes out.

“I think I’m just participating in the team effort and knowing what I need to do for my role,” said Dick, who would likely be the fourth or even fifth scoring option in the team’s lineup. departure from Toronto if everyone was in good health. “If some guys are out, then maybe step up in different spots.

“I just feel my energy, I feel like I’m trying to push it up and down the court and get my offense out of my defense.”

Rajakovic said it helped that Dick diversified his offense from just being a spot-up shooter in his rookie season.

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“He’s been more active in some pick-and-rolls, bringing the ball in transition, and all of those are new things for him,” the second-year head coach said. “We learn as much as he learns at the same time.”

Although Barrett leads the Raptors with 21.3 points per game this season, he slumped during Toronto’s road trip averaging 15.4 points with a 33 percent shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage. by 19.4 percent.

“I think he’s improved in his pick-and-roll efficiency and his decision-making, but most of the time he’s now playing in the paint with a lot of length and not a lot of outlets, and that doesn’t help him or us,” Rajakovic said, noting that the absence of Barnes and Quickley makes it easier for teams to double-team Barrett. “So I think that’s part of his progression.

“He must learn how to behave in these situations and play a decisive role in these situations.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published November 14, 2024.

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