Darko Rajakovic might be perfect fit for Raptors

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic is in his third season with the team.

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic watches game play during overtime against the Charlotte Hornets. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic is off to a great start in his third year with the team.

Rajakovic is even a Coach of the Year candidate after starting 14-7 with the Raptors this season. Rajakovic credits his strong coaching job to his players and the front office.

“You know, guys, their character is the baseline for everything, and our front office did really good job of identifying (the) right people,” Rajakovic said via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.

“And now our job as leaders, as adults, is to put them in situations that they're gonna thrive and learn each other, and then they can build that camaraderie, on the court and off the court. That’s a process, and that process never ends. It's always evolving, it's always changing, and it's always, for all of us, learning.”

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic watches game play during overtime against the Charlotte Hornets. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Rajakovic right fit for Raptors as the team's head coach

The Raptors need the coaching staff and the players to work in harmony for the team to continue to perform at a high level. Raptors forward Brandon Ingram praised Rajakovic for the job he has done with the team, crediting his energy with the reason why the Raptors have been so successful.

“He brings the energy every single day,” Ingram said of Rajakovic via Grange. “He’s the leader of our team. He makes sure we bring the energy to practice, games, shootarounds. He makes sure that we have it every single time we step on the basketball floor. For me, that’s the best part about being here.”

A big reason behind Toronto's success has been the team's culture and togetherness. Rajakovic is a champion for those aspects of the team, and he hopes that it will continue over the course of the year.

In order for a team to be successful in the NBA, a coach has to know its players backwards, forwards and sideways. It may take some time for that to develop and grow, but in Year 3 of the Rajakovic era in Toronto, it appears that time has paid off.

Rajakovic's connection with the team is only going to grow as time goes on, which could mean the Raptors are only going to get stronger. It remains to be seen how far the Raptors will go with Rajakovic as their head coach, but based off of Ingram's comments, the team is in good hands.