Rajakovic has proven his worth by developing Toronto into a playoff team; now is he ready to lead a contender?
The Toronto Raptors spent last season learning what they had. Now, after taking a major swing during free agency, they are preparing to find out how quickly all of it can come together.
That puts head coach Darko Rajakovic, who just inked a multi-year extension earlier this month, in an interesting position.
For the past three seasons, Rajakovic's job has largely been about development. The Raptors were building around Scottie Barnes, giving younger players opportunities and trying to establish a foundation that could eventually support a serious playoff team.
Now, assuming everything gets finalized, the impending return of Kawhi Leonard elevates this team from a bunch of young upstarts exceeding expectations to a genuine contender once again in win-now mode. And that's a significant shift for a coach who just completed his first playoff run.
Toronto's young players will feel the same pressure. Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja'Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead are all entering the next stages of their development, but the Raptors may not have the luxury of waiting for them to figure everything out at their own pace.
The Raptors already have a defensive identity they can lean on, and adding Leonard could give Rajakovic the flexibility to build some difficult matchups for opposing teams. The problem is that the lineup decisions won't always be straightforward. Leonard's history of injury and load management means Rajakovic will have to be comfortable adjusting from game to game, while the team's lack of depth at center could force him to get creative with Murray-Boyles.
That issue was highlighted by NBA.com's latest Eastern Conference power rankings, which questioned whether Toronto's smaller frontline can hold up against the bigger teams in the Eastern Conference.
If Leonard, Barnes and Murray-Boyles become the Raptors' preferred frontcourt combination, all three would bring defensive versatility. Their height becomes just as important as well, rebounding was one of the key factors in Toronto's seven-game series loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
That is a problem Rajakovic will have to solve, especially with the East getting more difficult at the top.
Still, the Raptors have options. They could have several first-round picks available in future years, along with contracts that could give the front office flexibility to address the center position later.
For now, the bigger challenge may be getting the pieces already on the roster ready for a different kind of season.
Toronto's ceiling will ultimately depend on internal growth. Barnes taking another step as a scorer would be significant, while the younger players developing into dependable contributors could determine whether the Raptors are simply a playoff team or something more.
That is where Rajakovic comes in. The Raptors have already shown they can develop a young roster. The next test is figuring out how to keep that development moving while the pressure to win starts mounting.
