Raptors Coach Explains Why He Opted to Close With Starters Against Hornets

Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajaković didn't want to ask his bench to play the entire fourth quarter and instead opted to close with his starters on Friday night

Darko Rajaković trusts his starters when it matters most.

Down 14 entering the fourth quarter Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets, the Toronto Raptors needed a spark. The hope was they could tread water for a few minutes with their typical Scottie Barnes plus bench unit to start the quarter. But the typically underwhelming lineup somehow sparked a run.

In the span of six and a half minutes, the Raptors came storming back. Barnes connected on a pull-up three. He followed that up with a pair of perfect finds to Chris Boucher under the basket for layups. Then Precious Achiuwa who provided a punch for Toronto all night mixed in a three off an assist from Barnes, and suddenly Toronto found itself up by one.

Then came decision time.

At the 4:23 mark, following a Terry Rozier clutch three, the Raptors called timeout. Out of the huddle, what group did Rajaković lean towards to finish the game? The starting five.

Sure, the trio from the bench was a big part of the surging comeback. But with the Hornets starting to adjust to the Raptors unforeseen offensive display, you roll with the players you trust most.

"We trust those guys to finish the game they got to do their job." Rajaković said after the game.

Rajaković's reasoning extended to Achiuwa, Boucher, and Malachi Flynn's extensive workload in that game, which they are not used to. He also emphasized getting freshly rested players back on the court.

The brief spark from the bench and their replacement in the fourth can draw criticisms to Rajaković's late-game decision-making. Yet, the Raptors play from their bench this year has been lackluster. The bench personnel ranks 21st in points per game off the bench this year.

The Toronto starters came up short to finish the game with a victory, but that's not because Rajaković switched back to them late in the fourth quarter; it's because those starters did not set the tone in the first half.

"We just got to come out and play with urgency from the beginning," Barnes said after Friday's loss.

The late heroics from Achiuwa, Boucher, and Flynn are indications of improvement from the bench group. Rajaković's decision to replace them with the Raptors starting unit was made because of their ability to play in high-leverage situations. Even in a disappointing loss, the Raptors head coach's commitment to his starters displays his position of trust going forward when finishing out close games.