Darko Rajakovic Reveals What He Would Change About Raptors Camp

Some players would gladly give up a few training camp days and an exhibition game or two for extra rest, but the head coach of the Toronto Raptors would take more preparation time if he could get it.

Darko Rajakovic said so after practice on Monday, right as his team's slow preseason turned into a packed final week.

In his view, coaches would say they are missing probably two weeks of training camp, and the way the game is changing calls for a longer camp and a couple more games before the regular season.

He laid out his ideal setup in his comments after Monday's workout.

"I think four weeks would be a great length of all the training camp and playing six games, seven games in that amount of time. I think that it will allow enough time to implement offence and defence, to slowly build players with their minutes and give opportunity to all the players," Rajakovic said.

He did not love the current stretch either, saying three games in four nights after coming back from the West Coast is not perfect, though it still lets him keep looking at different players and lineups.

Toronto's first two games came a week apart, with a rough night against the Miami Heat in Quebec City and then a win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Vancouver.

The pace picked up when the Knicks came to Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, and the team now heads to Madison Square Garden on Thursday before facing the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

I can see why Rajakovic wants more time, because forward Kawhi Leonard sat out the first two exhibitions to focus on his conditioning and did not make his debut until Tuesday.

The coach has spoken highly of what Leonard brings, but fitting a new star into the offense takes reps that a short camp does not always give.

I think the packed week is good practice, since the Raptors open the regular season with three games in five nights and play six of their first nine games on the road, a run that starts at home against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 21.

Forward Jamison Battle, center Trey Jemison III and center Nate Bittle did not dress against the Knicks, which left Rajakovic with fewer bodies to look at.

Battle dealt with a lower-back injury earlier in camp, while Bittle has been working through a foot injury since at least early September.

Toronto also waived guard Chucky Hepburn on Monday after he tweaked his hamstring and added center Jamarion Sharp on a camp contract.

Teams have until Monday, Oct. 19, to carry no more than 15 players on standard deals and three on two-way contracts, and ESPN still lists 22 players on Toronto's roster.

Forward Collin Murray-Boyles has been building a case for a larger role, and he and the other younger players need every minute these last two games offer.

I agree with Rajakovic that a four-week camp would help, but with the camp he has, I would hand most of the minutes on Thursday and Friday to Murray-Boyles and the players fighting for those final spots.