Darko Rajakovic Makes Scottie Barnes-Michael Jordan Comparison

After ending the three-year playoff drought in last year’s postseason, the Toronto Raptors are preparing to finally get back to NBA Finals contention next season after the addition of Kawhi Leonard. While the trade has still yet to be finalized as the investigation persists, those around Leonard and the franchise believe he’ll be ready to go for training camp in Quebec City at the end of next month. 

Adding a seven-time All-Star to a team led by head coach Darko Rajakovic and franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes is a recipe for success. Toronto had one of the best defenses in the NBA last season, and the two-time Defensive Player of the Year should prove to be an impactful teacher for young players with untapped potential. 

While Leonard is obviously the most decorated member of the Raptors, Barnes has proven that he’s ready to take the next step. He was snubbed from both the All-Defensive First Team and all three All-NBA teams last season, and if the Raptors are in championship contention, there should be no doubt that Barnes will be viewed as one of the top players in the league.

One person who believes this more than anyone else is Rajakovic. He’s on record for saying he thinks Barnes will be an MVP one day, and he just had another notable quote regarding the two-way superstar in a recent interview. 

“There is no success for a coach without players,” said Rajakovic. “You look at all our greatest coaches, who are fantastic coaches, thinkers, philosophers, workers, and everything else, none of them became that without players … Whether it’s the Euroleague, it’s the NBA, it’s Phil Jackson, there’s not Phil Jackson without Michael Jordan. My Michael Jordan is Scottie Barnes. So that’s one fantastic person, a young guy with a big heart, a great worker, I am also very grateful for him.”

It would be easy for fans to take this quote out of context. Obviously, Rajakovic is not actually comparing the two players, but he’s making a point that without Barnes, the Serbian head coach would not be nearly as successful in the NBA. In mentioning Jackson and Jordan, he believes it would go the same way back then without one another. 

Rajakovic has done great things in his short tenure with the Raptors, but next season he’ll be faced with his biggest task yet. Known for his effortless passion and player development, Rajakovic has guided the young core to play good team basketball, especially on the defensive side. Next season, playing well won’t be enough to satisfy the organization’s aspirations; the Raptors are looking to be one of the top teams in the league right away.

Whether the 47-year-old can hold his weight in this regard is yet to be determined. He just received a contract extension to remain the leader in Toronto through 2029 for an undisclosed amount, so naturally expectations will rise immediately. Fans have already seen the contracts for Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl not pan out, so striking out with the head coach as well would be detrimental to the future of the Raptors.