Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame vs Chicago Bulls | January 18, 2024

Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame vs Chicago Bulls | January 18, 2024

Welcome to Toronto first all and uh maybe just share a little bit of what this was like the last 24 hours um kind of crazy um I was in sack when I got the phone call um walking into we were about to go practice um so

I had to um I mean take my stuff off go to my room pack up uh fly to Indie last night got in at like I think like 1 um and then I had a flight this morning got here at like 12 1:00 and had do all the

Physicals and stuff so I was on the move all day um I didn’t even know I was I was going to play today um but they asked me and I was ready what’s the like playing with a bunch of guys who you probably never met don’t even know all

Their names yeah uh I mean I was I mean I don’t know any of the plays I don’t know much so I was just kind of trying to uh be in the right spots uh try to make an imprint on the game on the defensive end trying to get some steals

Uh and then me and Scotty um I mean I was setting screens and rolling like I was in Brooklyn again so uh it worked so I kept doing it did you know that Darko actually studied your game the way you cut I did I did

Not he told me he told me um a few years ago that he did um he looked at uh who was the best Cutters in the league and I was one um and I told him I was like I was the best cut in the leag just cuz I

Played with great players at the time so I had to figure out what worked um and what kept me on the floor sorry go ahead that was something that you really worked tonight I mean a lot of intuitive stuff slipping on the screens finding the back door

Yeah I mean I I now I don’t know where my shots are going to be you know like in in Indie I knew exactly where my shots were going to be uh so now I’m still trying to figure out trying to figure out the offense uh I’m trying to

Learn the guys’ games um and where I can impact offensively what were your impressions when you found out about the trade and found out you were coming to Toronto yeah I me Toronto’s a great city um uh when i’ when I’ve been here I’ve had a great time um it’s obviously a

Bigger city than Indie um but I mean definitely different like going to a different country um and then packing all my stuffff um and as I said like I was talking to to Jordan Noir like this is my fourth team in three years so I feel like I’ve been

Moving like every few months so um I’m I’m kind of used to getting up and going now you know any of the guys on the team well or um not really well I mean obviously playing against them I know um me and Dennis wearing a great series

Last last year in the West Conference Finals um I know Scotty a little bit just cuz I went to Miami and they were they were him when he was young um so I got to get to know more the more of the guys there a the exception of the Vets

Obviously in the room yeah GT old yeah Daddy is old yeah the exception of those guys a pretty young team you’re you’re an old 27 coming in how much do you think your experience specifically your your Championship experience can help some of these younger guys uh I think it

Can help a lot uh just like I I did Indy like I just try to share um all the information that I got with the guys uh just me going to the finals and winning in the finals um last year um whatever they need to know um I’ll let them know

Um but I’m not going to like At first I got to get to know the guys know their personality U I’m not going to just be not myself at um up front um so um just trying to get to know everyone and get comfortable from afar what has been your

View of Scotty’s game and I know yeah Scotty Scotty is a dog yeah Scotty is a dog he he’s a top tier superstar in this league um um can do everything I mean last year he didn’t shoot the ball well this year you got to respect it um and

He gets anywhere he wants and he can guard one through five so um yeah I think he’s a superstar in this league for sure what was the conversation with jont t like about the jersey number really wasn’t um so mpj hit me um his brother on Instagram was like

Congrats and I was like uh I looked at the the available numbers and I never wore any of those in my life so I was like um I make I make enough to to try to try to try to bribe him a little bit um so I

Asked mpj if uh jonte would give it up um he reached out and jonte said yeah so I’m thankful any dollar figure you can disclose yeah I gave him I gave him 10 I gave him 10 I thought he was honestly I thought he was going to ask for more so

I I I gave him 10 he said yes and I was like cool 10 10K got it how would is it going be how hard is he going to be able to put an impression on a team 41 games for you how hard honestly I don’t think it’s

Going to be hard for me the way I play is extremely hard um I’ve never really had a coach or or teammates not like the way I play um on both ends of the floor um so for me I don’t I don’t think it’d be hard at all you’ve played with a ton

Of really good players M um are there parts of Scotty’s games that remind you or Scotty’s game that reminds you of other players he’s totally different um I got to I got to I mean obviously play more with him I didn’t watch him much outside of playing against him um so if

You have that question for me in 3 weeks I I’ll let you know when you are preparing like a scout you know maybe it’s not as deep as some assistant coaches but when you come to a new team do you tell guys like hey like in the

Scout I was trying to exploit this from a defensive perspective say it again when you when you come to a new team new teammates but you played against them before like you said you batt oh yeah so what I was doing against you say like

This is what I was trying to take away from no not really I mean we played him so long ago so um um you kind of play one game and then you forget about it until it we play them again you know so uh not really Scotty when you you know

We at training camp let’s just say and and we would have explained said to you that OG wouldn’t be here Pasco wouldn’t be here you know pretty much you’re going to be focus of uh so many things around this team going forward what would you have said what would you how

Would you reacted to that I think we already knew really what the focus was but this no one that somebody would told me that those place was going to be here you know I would have probably told him to be quiet like know like be quiet type

Stuff like that but um you I wouldn’t believe them um but like where we at right now and do you feel ready to kind of be you know a guy who’s really how as you go this franchise is going to go really I think we’ve been said that from uh day one um

But they try to build around me and you know put start off with me from there uh so it ain’t nothing new someone supp ask you what your leadership style is what would you say uh you know I come in every single day with a

Smile on my face you know I’m a great teammate um joyful person to be around um try to play hard uh feel like you just see me out there on the floor you know I’m just trying to keep everybody together keep everybody happy does that smile and that Joy get translated your

Teammates do you feel I don’t know are they smiling happy I don’t know brother i s is it going to be weird on Saturday going up against OG yeah it is you know uh of course I miss my boy but you know it’s going to be crazy seeing him in New

Jersey uh of just talk about it you know seeing him in New Jersey it’s going to be it’s going to be different so I know you I’m sure you g up against him in practice um how difficult of he’s probably going to go up against you how

Difficult of a defender in a match up is he not worry about that man I’m at him nah it’s going to be fun uh still just got to try to go out there and win the game uh but you know he’s a great defender uh game plan just got to ex our

Game plan and whatever they bring to the table Bruce seemed like I mean weird day wild day for him barely knew any of you guys and you know connected with you a few times uh what was it like playing with him up there know Bruce went to uh

He went to Miami so you know that’s that Florida connection right there um but you know Miami was Never As Good As Florida State but you know anyway uh you know he played really well great defender um strong uh knows how to just knows how to

Really play the game so you know he just came in and made instant impact uh found a little connection there towards the end of the game and it worked out really well you did Andre Drummond’s nickname is the big penguin is that what your celebration was after the end one I

Don’t know why I did that to be honest I didn’t know that was his nickname uh I guess I I saw it after that people were saying that but I don’t know I guess I don’t know I don’t know why I did it I just did it would you pull

Something out like that on OG if you got would you have something plan for him I don’t know we’ll see you know it just things just happened in the moment u i was one of those things just happened I don’t know why I got it from I don’t

Know why I did it I just did it when did those conversations about like making you kind of the guy for this organization again like you you mentioned that that’s not something you know a surprise to you now when did that start uh I think they we we’ve been all

Been vocal about it uh a meia today when yall talk to them um been having those conversations with them for a while uh yeah like like it did it start this year is that what you’re started saying I guess I don’t know I feel I guess that’s been the thing around uh

Everybody been knowing that but you know I just feel like it’s been that it’s been that point Scotty another good fourth quarter for you today uh I’m just wondering is there like a mental switch you have going into the fourth quarter to be like

The game is on the line I got to level up um like I said I’ve been saying I’m just trying to win we found things that was working and we we stuck to it um made some really good plays had some turnovers but you know just

Growing how do you feel your role sort of in the fourth quarter and those late and L games changes without I kind of like Pascal here you know it’s been like that um as some fourth quarters you see me do really well you know just being able

To find those mismatches and being able to be in that attack mode um but it just all trying to win come down to it at the end of the day um just trying to win Scotty Carter got a big Ovation obviously you had that moment a few

Years ago when he sort of announced work to he for you what was it like seeing that Ovation in reception that he got from the crowd tonight um I don’t I didn’t really see it uh I heard it uh I didn’t really see it I think I was really locked into into the

Game um but seeing Vince you know Vince I always see him in Orlando uh when I used to be down there High School uh see him down there sometimes I go to my friend’s house down in Orlando uh just see events you know it bring a smile to my face uh

Somebody that’s been doing it for a while um someone that has so much respect in this game um you know one day I’m you know I’m trying to get in the gym with him one day work on my game with him when it comes to the pick and

Roll just see like the statistics you’ve made a big jump this year from the it test it looks a lot better when you’re running that action what do you think about your game from last year to this year changed to allow you to be so much more effective in it Um probably just being in it more I feel like uh I feel like I’m more in those situations but rather last year you know I’ll be in it some but not really that much uh I feel like just being able to get more reps into it uh you know it

Just helps me do better uh be more confident uh find out those situations uh and then me being able to just you know orchestrate it um you know finding people out on the for which whichever matchup I like um you know it helps as well you know last year you

Know you’ll be I have the ball that’s how the key and it’ll just be like a design play but me more orchestrating who I want in the pick and roll and being able to find those mismatches and that’s how I attack It On Media day Darko talked about how excited he was to

Put you more in those positions or those conversations you guys had prior to the season like you can expect more of this we’re going to help you this way uh yeah for sure you know we still have those conversations of just being able to put me in those positions and growing from

It and learning from it uh keep watching film and just keep trying to get better on the other side you’re having a career year defensively too and tonight it was three steals three blocks right you just able to kind of cook as the low man I’m

I’m wondering you know when it comes to having that approach defensively how are you able to balance the offensive side of the ball with being active on the defensive end um you know on the defensive end you know just trying to be aggressive you know guard the rim

Protect the paint um just trying to find those opportunities where I’m able to be aggressive and be able to guard a paint as well at the same time uh you know you know since some changes you know have made uh gr those best players

You know it takes a lot of energy um but just trying to find it out of me uh to play Both of the both sides uh you know I’m feel like I’m ready for it and you know I’m taking on a challenge each and every single game really negated their size by

Going small there but I think they had 74 points in the paint that kind of was the difference right yeah that was that was the biggest difference in the game uh we were able to do a good job uh you know keeping them of the glass for for

The majority of the game there uh but uh you know uh they beat us of the dribble they went to the rim uh quite easily and uh something that we are trying to build defense and that that that’s that physicality and then two slides and make

Them go lateral we did not do a good job uh tonight with that uh it came down to allowing them 38 points in in a in a in a first quarter that’s where everything started start of the game we missed I believe six or seven straight uh threes

That were good open shots and it just like Spiral with us affected our defense there we found a way to get back in the game and um um we just did not do a great job executing down the stretch couple of turnovers and then miss shots that that

Decided the winner how how much do you have to simplify to be able to use Bruce for 25 you might not know of his game yeah I mean they’re really trying to simplify offensively there like for him go stay in the corner go set a pick and roll it’s literally like basic basic

Instructions over there thank God he’s smart player and you know he’s not playing basketball for the first time so he was able to find some Rhythm there especially in the second half and to help us in the second half did those cuts look familiar to you some of them

Some of them I expect more of those to come uh you know when we get chance to practice and get get chance to actually to script a little bit our offense so actually know he knows what we’re doing out there and what we’re trying to to create you guys tried a few different

Things in the pick and roll defensively like the hedging draw and and switching when you’re running through a bunch of those different things are you looking for more puns at the point of attack or are you expecting a little bit more from the back end rotations to kind of keep

Things clean uh depending what coverage is uh if you’re more aggressive if you putting two on the ball then uh you need to rely on the back side to protect all of those uh roles uh if you’re more in a mode that you’re switching one through five then then you’re trying to keep

Body on body and not allow those slip outs and easy easy uh uh rolls I thought uh that uh we did a good job when they were posting up just to get a ball out of their hands and go rotate um but they opened up uh we did not allow them that

First initial attack that was post ups for the Rosen or vvi but after that it opened up some uh some driving lanes for them in the past and crr time you guys have kind of given the ball to Pascal and allowed him to do his thing how do

You see Scotty’s role changing in sort of those moments um when he’s now the go-to guy and the defense knows that um it’s it’s the beauty of being number one guy that’s the that’s the beauty of learning how to play how to handle those situations um tonight the hard part is

Uh we did not finish with uh Ted Young or with jant at position five uh so we he was in he was initiating offense with with the ball but now we were trying to bring some of the guards to set pick and rolls and I thought that couple of times

With those pick rolls that he had with with Bruce opened up a drive opened up a short roll open up stuff for there but it’s Al also going to be for whole team to learn what a spacing needs to be I thought that we threw couple of bad

Passes tonight looking for the right solution we just did not execute it well um but it’s it’s it’s going to be learning process also with Scotty setting screens and him me picking rolls with RJ and then quickly and uh Dennis is going to be something that we got take a look at more

Players and Coach speak with the media following the Raptors’ 116-110 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

0:00 Bruce Brown Jr.
5:37 Scottie Barnes
14:03 Darko Rajakovic

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