Having dealt with ominous clouds that seemed to hover over the Raptors for what seemed like the entire season, Darko Rajakovic has learned to roll with the punches and glean any silver lining, even when none existed for those looking from the outside.
In this, his second year as head coach, Rajakovic is no longer a rookie, but he continues to show traits of his senior and more accomplished peers.
Football embraces the next-man-up mantra, a philosophy that can easily apply to hoops, though there isn’t any singular catch-phrase when adversity strikes.
Personal reasons kept franchise player Scottie Barnes from appearing in Sunday’s pre-season opener in Montreal.
A sore thumb kept Immanuel Quickley out of the lineup at the Bell Centre, where the Raptors beat an inferior Washington Wizards team.
Quickley was acquired from the New York Knicks in the deal that sent OG Anunoby to the Big Apple. The second player the Raptors received in the deal was RJ Barrett.
His sweet-shooting left-hander was in vintage form against the Wizards until Barrett was forced to leave with a shoulder sprain. He was then a non-participant at Tuesday’s practice.
Then word began to spread that an update on his status would soon follow. When it officially was announced, the news could have been worse.
At the same time, it could have been better, knowing any reps with the team’s incumbent core of Barnes and IQ would be preferred.
In spurts last season, the trio showed flashes. Barrett and Quickley each had to endure personal tragedy while Barnes’ hand injury did not allow for an extended run for the threesome to develop as a unit.
With Quickley expected back soon, at least he’ll be on the same floor with Barnes at some point during exhibition play.
As for Barrett, he officially has been ruled out of the remainder of the pre-season because of a sprain to the AC joint in his right shoulder.
The injury is similar to the setback that befell first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter, a right-handed shooter who hurt his left shoulder during informal workouts while ramping up for training camp.
For the many who aren’tmedically inclined, the AC joint is where the shoulder blade meets the collarbone. In medical terms, it’s known as acromioclavicular joint.
“Week to week,” Rajakovic said when he convened with reporters in discussing Barrett. “He’ll be able to do other stuff conditioning-wise.
“Once he comes back, he’ll be in a great position to continue.”
Ideally, Rajakovic would have all three of the team’s Big 3 healthy and fully engaged, whether it’s learning how to better play off each other, having the ball in whatever spot on the floor and either creating for themselves or finding teammates.
Some good news did emerge when Quickley was able to get in some solo work after Tuesday’s practice.
Once the doors swung open and the assembled media was able to enter the gym, the sight of Quickley getting off shots was hard to overlook.
He looked pretty explosive, even to the naked eye, when shooting off the dribble.
At some point, Rajakovic will have all three of his main unit together. Until then, he’s determined to focus on the process and take it week by week, which is all he can really do.
If his maiden season as head coach taught him anything, it’s to never look beyond that particular day knowing how much can change from one to the next, even when things appear to be in his control.
With all the moving parts, the uncertainty and the injuries, Rajakovic had no chance last season to fully leave his imprint.
A fully healthy team to begin training camp would have helped, but no one is about to feel sorry.
It should be pointed out that Quickley was wearing a brace on his left thumb. The head coach did add that his starting point guard is ramping up and is expected to be cleared for contact at any moment.
As of Tuesday, the plan, according to Rajakovic, was to have Quickley play in the pre-season, which resumes Friday in a rematch against the Wizards.
When it comes to pre-season setbacks, Rajakovic views them as a way for injured players to work on their strength, conditioning and spend more time watching film.
“I always try to look at it from a positive side,” the perpetually positive head coach said. “In a perfect world, obviously, we want all the guys being healthy and always available.
“But that’s the reality and we have to deal with it. For me, it’s more game by game, process, focus on improvement.”
The good news, by far, is that there are no expectations with the Raptors as they celebrate their 30th anniversary.
The ultimate measuring stick will not be based on wins, but rather how the team’s core threesome evolves and how the surrounding cast fits.
AND THE SURVEY SAYS
To the shock of absolutely no one, the Raptors did not get a mention in many of the 50 questions league GMs were asked to react as part of the annual survey.
Veteran Garrett Temple finished second to Chris Paul when GMs were asked which active player will make the best head coach one day, while Pat Delany earned votes when it came to the best assistant coach.
A total of 40% of the GMs projected Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as league MVP, while 83% believe the Boston Celtics will repeat as champions.