Darko Rajakovic Claims Toronto Raptors Have Experience Going Into NBA Playoffs

Head coach Darko Rajakovic and the Toronto Raptors have finally gotten to the day of the first playoff game for the franchise since 2022. Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers is at 1:00 PM EST, and the Raptors will need to play their best basketball to steal one of the first two games on the road at Rocket Arena.  

Not many are giving the Raptors a chance in this series, largely due to the lack of playoff experience for the roster. Seven-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell has almost as many playoff games played as the entire Raptors’ rotation by himself, and 11-time All-Star James Harden has nearly twice the amount of his backcourt counterpart. 

Heading into the matchup, the Serbian head coach talked about a different type of experience that has allowed the Raptors to be in an advantageous position: roster flexibility. 

“Some things were by design over the course of the season, some things were from guys missing due to injury, that we were forced to try different things offensively and defensively,” said Rajakovic. “Our guys went through a lot over the course of the season, just being in all of those different scenarios, wearing different hats. I think that plays to our advantage as a team that’s growing and developing. I think being exposed to all of those experiences just makes us better.”

Health has not been a strong suit for the Raptors this season. Between RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, and Collin Murray-Boyles alone, there have been 84 missed games. Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley had a durable season, up until the last few weeks, when he was forced to miss eight straight games due to plantar fasciitis. In the regular season finale, he exited due to a hamstring issue, which was later diagnosed as a mild hamstring strain. He is officially day-to-day and questionable to play in Game 1.

All the different lineups and duties for players changing weekly have allowed for significant diversity. Even without significant playoff experience, they are now accustomed to having to switch roles on the fly and play with different players than they may have expected to be sharing the floor with. Whether this becomes necessary or not, the Raptors have prepared themselves (intentionally or not) to be ready for any given scenario, which could come in handy as the pressure and intensity of the playoffs rise. 

Game 1 for the Raptors very well could serve as a “feel-out” game, given their lack of playoff experience. This will allow for the younger players to fully understand the changes in physicality and atmosphere from the regular season to the playoffs. Not to mention, they are on the road, so losing at least one of the first two games should be expected from the lower seed.