"Not like we have Steph Curry sitting on the bench": Darko Rajakovic keeps it real about Raptors' potential lineup changes amid 3-10 run
The Toronto Raptors are on a three-game losing streak and head coach Darko Rajakovic is not happy that the team has slipped to an 11-18 record after losing to the depleted Utah Jazz by seven points, 119-126. Rajakovic has been throwing sarcasm and hints at his players during the post-game press conference.
At this point, the Raptors are 12th in the NBA Eastern Conference standings and just above lottery-bound teams Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons.
For most of the season, Rajakovic has been going with the same starting lineup. Jakob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam form the front court, while OG Anunoby and Dennis Schroder are the backcourt tandem.
Asked if he intends to change the starting five anytime soon after the team has lost three straight, Rajakovic gave quite an interesting answer.
“It’s not like we have Stephen Curry on our bench and I’m keeping him off the court,” said Rajakovic.
The disgruntled Raptors coach rues that his team lost a 16-point halftime lead and that eventually led to the loss.
“We were completely different in the way we played in the second half. That’s the mentality we gotta look at and address.”
Darko Rajakovic tells Toronto Raptors players to do some self-evaluation
As the Toronto Raptors drop their third straight loss, Coach Darko Rajakovic stresses that his team will do some self-criticism during the next few days. He also tells the media that this is what he plans to do and hopes his players and coaching staff will follow through.
“I told guys that, first of all, me as a leader of the team I gotta look in the mirror and see what I can do better… I expect the same thing from coaching staff and all the players," said Darko Rajakovic.
During the loss, Scottie Barnes led the team with 32 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four three-pointers, while Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby each had 19 points. Gary Trent Jr. came off the bench with 16 points.
The Raptors allowed the Jazz to shoot the lights out on their home court as they had a 53-45-93 split. Lauri Markannen and Jordan Clarkson had a field day, dropping 30 points each against the home team.
The Toronto Raptors return on December 27 to start their three-game road trip to end 2023. Among the teams that they will battle are the Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons.