Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame at Golden State Warriors | January 7, 2024

Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame at Golden State Warriors | January 7, 2024

Hey Darko uh to your left front left um before the game you said you’re still very much learning what RJ can do what did you see tonight that advanced that process um I thought that RJ was was great today um obviously he scored a lot but uh I was really proud of his

Playmaking uh with six assists uh he felt he he played unselfishly he was um trying to make right plays every time down the court and also I really like the the force that he was attacking the rim you know that’s something that that uh we talked about and and watch on the

Film just uh the force and uh and um you know forcing his will into the game you know and being more athletic there and I thought that he did really good job rebounding assists uh scoring he did it all today in the first quarter there it

Wasn’t just him but he was he both kind of got some deflections and helped get you guys in transition and then uh he scored in transition looked like there was a real effort to get in transition and then there’s a lot of those early post-ups too against some of their

Smaller players anyways got you guys going was that by Design or um defensively I thought that we were very disruptive uh we really wanted to get them out of their Rhythm and their patterns uh obviously clay and then Steph are the guys they they they seen

It all but we really wanted to make uh hard on them uh and uh I thought that that uh from the start of of the game we did a really good job as as you said we had a lot of deflections and we were

Active on the ball um RJ uh he he was extra active today as well and and really getting his length and physicality in plays and that really helped us uh in in the first half coach since the New Year you guys have won three out of the past four games what’s

Working um I mean I I see us playing with lot lot of joy and then for each other uh guys are enjoying uh being on the floor and and competing for each other and uh obviously feels like we have just like more tools that can that can help on the

Floor there just like we talked before the start of the game and uh we have uh we have couple of players that are capable to score in different ways like start of the game we after getting those post uh after getting defensive stops and rebounding ball we did a good job of

Uh uh scoring early in transition with some early post UPS throughout the game uh we we continued having problems with defensive rebounding and that’s something that that uh that U we got to figure out how we get better in that area because uh you know transition fast

Break points we kept them only to eight but allowed them 15 offensive rebounds we got to be really better in that area because that’s going to also allow us more you know possessions on offense and more transition opportunities um was it safe to say that RJ got the chain

Today uh it’s safe but it’s not true oh who got it uh today uh the chain went uh the chain is not just meant for uh for players it’s meant for anybody in organization that are contributing uh Our Winning culture and uh they are just affecting our organization in in so many

Positive ways and obviously players are Front Runners of all of that but today uh it went to person who is uh who is a close friend of mine and uh who is also somebody who has a tremendous love for the city and for the organization and um

Somebody who did a really good job with the Scout today Jama Mela of course um you obviously saw Dennis with the Lakers in the Western Conference far more than we did what do you think he brought from the time with them to his time here in

Toronto well uh when he was uh with with Lakers in that playoff series he was a nightmare for us uh you know he was so disruptive defensively he did really good job of uh of you know guarding multiple players multiple positions and uh uh Dennis uh Dennis brings uh a lot

Of energy to to everything that we do you know and he’s uh trying to play the right way on offensive end he’s very disrupted like you know we’re switching with him putting him to guard Dario shage and uh you know a lot of size and he’s just like not backing down one inch

You know uh his his mentality and and his his force is something that that’s really robs off of our guys really well um RJ earlier in the season he shot the ball really well from three over his career he’s had like long stretches shooting it great and then he’s kind of

Goes in some long slumps too is there a focus on the kind to threes you want him to take all six of his all of his makes today I think were assisted is uh is have you had any conversations like that about what you’re looking for him on

Those shots spot UPS relocations being in right spots on the floor finding those spots I think that when he does that when he has his feet pretty set I think that he’s pretty good a three-point shooter and uh I just don’t want him to force things like you know

To come off of dribble and like just find some shots they’re like not easy and not open you know and I I think for this stage of his career when when he’s this young that’s going to be huge emphasis for us getting better in those areas and slowly build other type of

Threes that over the time he’s going to be able to add to his game we usually wants his threes to to make those shots as well so that that helps we want to make his threes as well so that’s that’s important uh I think this is the second

Game in a row bet you had multiple guys and couple figures just really seems to be become a real positive force for this team and just wondering what you’re what explains that from your perspective um I mean every be everybody being ready just whoever steps on the floor

Just to have an impact on winning playing the right way sharing the ball shooting it with confidence and and it’s been great so far obviously I’m sure you prefer toting and all that but uh do you feel like this SCH kind of elevating the you you have a pretty

Significant I mean at the end of the day it’s whatever it takes to win a basketball game uh for me you know um to be there uh end the games and just you know impact uh winning whenever I’m on the floor uh is the most important and

Um um I mean yeah when we win a game like this everybody you know Shar the ball everybody got over 10 points everybody shooting it touching it it’s always great what have you seen from RJ you guys have pretty good chemistry so far it’s just been obviously four games but

Um what do you think you can help him with have been able to help him with this this adjustment I think he can help himself if he plays defense like tonight um if he engaged like that and uh it’s going to help him on the offensive end too to get easy ones

Going early end up with 37 points really efficient night for him and uh I think he just got to you know start on the defensive end if he does that he’s going to be a really really good piece for us than what did you uh learn about

Yourself and your game dur your time with you in Los Angeles oh did I uh play with one of the best whoever played the game um respect them over there you know all the players um I mean made the Western Conference finals last year uh was a really good accomplishment uh for Us but at the end of the day I would turn on there and U you know try to build something didn’t didn’t your career though because you got to play in like Western Conference Finals in big games going to help you in the advancement of your of your of your career going into

The summer now the season yeah I mean I was in the Eastern Conference Finals before um but I mean like I said it’s uh always great you know competing on the highest level and when it counts the playoffs uh that’s the best feeling you know everybody’s watching the games the

Intention is uh you know on the team to play in and uh you want to make an impact you won two you know rounds in the playoffs and then Denver came through you know played really well um and uh yes it’s always great you go you

Go way back with Darin and uh what has he meant to your career and and last year playing with him Darin H um yeah I mean he’s like family to me you know um 2013 when I got drafted he he was the assistant coach

You know um work GRE him a lot you know had a lot of talks as well and um you know playing for him first year we always talked about that so it was uh pretty special for us and uh to make it you know all the way to the Western

Conference Finals in this first year it’s amazing and um you know I hope uh that they have uh the most you know success they can get um cuz his family you know B ad wees uh all those guys is really really close friends as well so um I hope they’re doing good just

Bringing it back to the Raptors again um do you feel like there has been since the new year since all the transactions happened do you feel like there’s been a style of play that’s been different U see at least in any significant way yeah I mean we’ve been sharing the

Ball I mean I feel like the the whole season I mean we just got to get better every day um I think we heading into that direction um we doing a great job of you know um building a winning culture and uh building a winning team and I think

The last couple of games uh is heading into the right direction and we just got to keep going keep practicing um everybody getting on the same page because I mean with two new guys just came in and um you know teach them the system and get to know them as well and

Then uh just keep keep going forward how tough is that to you know have new guys and build on that winning culture while in the middle a road trip especially in the west coast and you’re going back to LA I mean it’s just another game uh I

Think uh I mean we got to do it now we want to play uh play our best basketball in uh March April and I mean we got you know a lot of practices practice tomorrow to get better again and then we got to use these games you know to to

Get in shape to uh find our chemistry under Court you know with the two uh with the two new guys and um at the end of the day you know just compete on the highest level and when you do that it gives you a chance you know to win basketball

Gam how did darkow approach it with you about changing your role and having come off the bench obviously your minutes have stay pry steady but uh the time you’re playing was different so just wondering how that conversation went I mean he came up to me and he said uh

He’s thinking about you know doing a change and I mean you know how effective I am in any role I play um I in The Last 5 Years I think I said that before I played uh first you know with Russell West Paul George um after that I played with uh Shay and

Chris um future Hall of Famers then I played with Bon ad future all of famous then jayen Brown Jason T future all of famous went back to LA um always come my way so at the end of the day whatever it takes you know for um

This organization to win I do it so uh and he knows that you know that I want to win every single night um I mean that’s the best feeling ever and uh I’m going just you know keep going um every single chance I get on the court to do

The right things aspects of the game at that end you can get better at and what kind of things are yeah for sure you know coming here uh learning a new system so uh learning a new system and just trying to attack T your head on you

Know try to be a sponge uh watching a lot of film and you know just try to make sure that I’m I’m doing the things that you know the coach wants and uh finding a way to be effective on on that end as well RJ you’re um you came out of

The gates this you’re shooting a great day you kind of stumbl a little bit from three at least and then obviously since you’ve come here you’ve been pretty good um what is you know when you’re shooting it well like what is kind of mindset what are some of the uh you know the

Signals that let you know that you’re going to shoot shoot a good and our Sho well you know I think I we working on it you know I work at it every day so um I just think the the amount of work the amount of shots that put up something

Has to drop you know and I also just you know here in the system being wide open shots you know been getting a lot of wide open looks um so yeah we’re playing in the flow we’re in the Rhythm you know getting good you know shots that I work on every day So yeah yeah like I said good good Rhythm you know it’s coming um you just got to be ready to shoot it coach talked about um the fact that more than just scor but he thought like playmaking out there did you feel like that as well cuz

Hey 37 points is definitely a way to help your team yeah yeah no for sure um I think I think I had I don’t know if I had two in the first two assists in the first half or whatever it was and then and then I think I had four in the

Second half you know so just not even trying to do anything crazy just trying to play basketball you know this this team where we’re trying to get a lot of assists from trying to play together um so not just me you know everybody quick had 10 assists quick we quick really got

Us going in the first quarter just you know kick ahead thr the ballheads Pascal got you know got me some assist today so just the the whole team and then just kind of tailing off what R was just saying like do you feel like it’s a

Matter of the system kind of working in your favor in in terms of finding those open looks or is it maybe some reps that you’ve been able to get up since joining the Raptors and what’s the what’s working three or three point shot uh both I I I would say um I’m consistently

Working on my shot this first but then like uh the Raptors here you know we have a certain system everybody’s moving sharing the ball I mean you look six assist six assist five assist three assist 10 assist four assists everybody you know everybody’s sharing the ball everybody’s playing together yeah looks

Like um darkos kind of su you out a little bit early and then you get back kind of run that second quarter playing with Dennis quite those EV um how have you guys kind of connected a unit what do you Dennis is bringing to that second unit it’s been pretty productive

Uh I think you know one it helps it just helps me to be able to gel with the whole team um I think that’s first and then as well as I mean I got to play against tennis this summer and this summer is where I really saw how good a

Basketball player he is and then now playing with Dennis he’s so smart you know he’s such a smart player um he’s he’s a very very good basketball player so you know he enjoy play

Players and Coach speak with the media following the Raptors’ 133-118 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

00:00 – Darko Rajakovic
05:53 – Dennis Schroder
12:48 – RJ Barrett

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