Toronto Raptors Media Availability | February 21, 2024

Toronto Raptors Media Availability | February 21, 2024

You learned how to fight huh you learn how to fight n no any advice from him from who GSP oh yeah gsp’s over I didn’t talk to him though no you guys are just standing near each other for like 10 minutes we just standing over there what was he

Doing here uh you know he was coming over here to tell somebody’s inspir know inspiring us you know tell us about his journey what he went through um how he able to switch it on you know do his fights and things like that you know

He’s a great guy uh you know he was very motivating as well what did you take away from the from the talk uh you know he goes through a lot of physical uh mental things uh that you could just take perspective in the basketball world as well you know we go

To a lot of go through a lot of physical and mental things as well uh you know through the ups through the down you just got to learn how to be able to control yourself I say in the right head space space and then just always working

On your body um be a killer when you go out there on the floor you know when he goes out there he he’s going to he’s going to be a dog um be a killer when he goes out there to fight um but then when

He comes back to the real world you know he knows how to keep his peace keep that peace with itself I know you were at Allstar Weekend in the last couple of years rising star game and know a lot of these guys but was the experience any different this year sharing a locker

Room with some of those players and were you able to pick anybody’s brain um not really I didn’t really pick anybody’s brain but you know it was just a fun experience you know been around of those guys um it’s a elite group um and but primarily was just me enjoying the

Weekend having fun um having some little communication with other guys but you know it was just fun and regular talk it was the highlight for you uh being able to see my family uh friends and being able tojoy the the moment with them um obviously you got back to work

Today with the Raptors how important was it to have like an intense sort of hourlong practice and get everyone back on the same page um I think we all know we got a some new guys and we haven’t had that time to really uh implement the

Plan that we want to do together uh so just addressing some things and being able to work on it uh was very important for us so uh I think it’s a it’s a it was a good practice to be able to implement that plan on things that they

Want from us and what they want us to go out there and do on the court what are your goals for the uh the rest of the season you know we just got to finish out strong win some games and that’s just the main thing win games how you

Your the first half of season uh for our team uh for both me are the team for you personally and lot of change for the team obviously me personally went all right um you know solid uh for the team you know we nowhere near where we want to be but you

Know we just got to keep getting better go through this process and try to try to win games I feel like no we not winning games and we’re not doing our job um we want to win games so you know once we do that you know we all feel

Better everybody feels better you know you know it’s just a whole another feeling how much does Allstar Weekend like just being there being with the level of talent that you’re surrounded by and you’re considered with that same group how much does that motivate you to continue to go there every single year

Uh I’m always going to be motivated regardless um it’s all right uh but you know I feel like when I’m wining with the team you know it just gives you a whole different morale it makes you feel better uh you know we win you know just going to open up everything else you

Know you’re in different talks you know it’s everything just different uh so I think this is just my main focus right now Scot you ever consider stepping in the Octagon I I I don’t know if I’ll step in octagon but you know I love I love MMA I watch May every time

It comes on um I watch all the things on Instagram or I watch YouTube videos I love him me uh so just being able to see him here uh talking to us was very inspiring to me very motivating uh I’m a fan of his and all the work that he’s

Done his inspiration his his story how he came into the UFC and how he grew and every time he stepped in the ring you just see his how he got better uh just for his passion and love for the game um I was just telling him uh just watching

The I wasn’t around when he was fighting well I wasn’t watching UFC when he was fighting I was around but um just to see him on the r in the Octagon I remember he won the champion uh he lost it had to get a couple fights to get it back and

You see him in the ring begging for another title fight tell him them give him another shot you know he was on his knees begging uh so it just shows his passion know he just wants to be great and it’s very motivating nobody got no questions 20 games of a Rapter now I

Mean how do you assess that quick has it gone pretty quickly yeah it has honestly um feel like I’ve been here for a while but also still feel like a lot of stuff is new so it’s a very interesting Journey having a lot of fun though uh

Getting better finding out new ways to get better things like that so it’s definitely a learning experience I’m having a lot of fun now what’s your goals what’s your goals for the down the stretch here as every um just to continue to get better every day I think uh especially like

Second half of the season a lot of uh guys you know kind of take days off whether you in the playoff pitcher not in the playoff pitcher ready for the playoffs ready to go on vacation just having the mindset to continue to get better and put everything into each day

To try to do that there so much change over the last couple months was it kind a good timing to have the break and chance to recalibrate a little bit yeah it was great um I’m sure everybody as much needed break uh guys just to get a

Chance to you know see their families are uh get away from each other uh also time to you know put in some more work and get better um that way uh but also good to get some rest and come back you know charged up went home seeing my family um seeing

My uncle uh my mother uh my dad everybody um and then you know went to Miami to work out for a couple of days a team standpoint would you like to see in terms of coming together next Str gam yeah that’s really it honestly um I mean

The more time you spend together the better your team gets uh so just finding ways to not only be better like I said individually but also uh develop chemistry as a team uh continue to find ways to you know build momentum as we keep going for not only this season but

For the next season as well do you use this time to kind of stay away from each other or are you checking in with guys and if so was there anyone in particular you kind of talking to while you were doing your workouts no I think everybody

Got away from each other to be honest uh we with each other every day throughout the whole year so uh Allstar breakr is a time to you know get away see your family and you know in that way so the numbers changed like in terms of pullup shots percentage

Wise M and stuff the rers what are you trip back road change I I mean uh when I was in New York I was playing some sometimes on the ball sometimes off the ball um playing a lot more on the ball here um so probably Road change

Obviously I still have the ability to you know play off of other guys like Scotty and RJ and stuff like that but you know primarily on the ball so probably why I get more pullup shots how do you feel that’s changing like in terms of how defenses are are treating

Your yeah I mean being in New York I was probably the fourth guy on the SC report now I’m probably like one or two or three so uh on any G night so um you know that’s probably a different in that way and just being able to have

Different ways to score get my teammates involved uh and just like I said trying to get better so that I can do that how big learning Ro what’s kind of the biggest adjustment um I think the learning curve is just all about your mindset if you if

You have a a mindset that you’re going to improve that you’re going to learn through failure that you are okay with you know being comfortable being uncomfortable I think your your chances to learn and get better grow and uh that’s what I try to do so sometimes

When you have a break you’re able to kind of do some reflecting just maybe a little Clarity of Mind get away from it a little bit have any thoughts and like oh maybe I want to try this in the second half of the Season or about this a different

Way uh I don’t know if I’ve had anything changeed uh drastically uh as far as that but just like I said my main focus is just trying to put everything I have in each day I think you give yourself a chance to be very successful uh whatever

That looks like for anybody whether it be basketball whatever you guys do or whatever anybody does um if you put everything you have in each day I think you find yourself where you want to be at the end you mentioned learning on the court learning with a more of a starting

Role what sort of things have you been learning so far um a lot uh the coaching staff is tell me to shoot lot a lot more they think I’m passing up a lot of shots um still learning when to be ultra aggressive and when to get my teammates

Involved uh the balance of it um how to find guys where they want the ball things like that uh flow of the game Rhythm of the game um all while you know still playing defense at a high level so um you know it’s a lot but I’m I’m I’m

I’m having fun uh you know learning all of it because this is what I wanted I wanted you know to be challenged and you know this is what I wanted so to see Denis tomorrow what was your relationship with and were you surprised to see

Him uh I mean I mean I’ve seen a lot in this business as far as being traded so anything can happen uh during the trade deadline uh but Dennis was a guy that you know kind of helped me out a lot soon as I got here um I appreciate him

For that you know uh for him just you know kind of taking me under his way and showing me around and things like that what to look for what not to look for and things like that so appreciate them a lot so how important uh was today’s

Practice to get everyone back on the same page back at the speed after being a part for about a week um it was uh it was uh training camp feeli for sure we were able to to go for uh over an hour in the practice uh uh we were able to

Install new things new for for a bunch of new guys uh we tweaked couple of things defensively that we wanted to to to work on so it was it was great it was great opportunity great spirits everybody’s excited to be back in the

Gym um so it was a great day for us with so much turnover in off over the last couple months how important was this break for for you to kind of calibrate whether that’s basketball side of things or even outside of basketball I think it was important for everybody you know

With so many changes and stuff that were going on uh you know over the course of the Season uh the the the passing of uh my close friend from from Golden State uh it was it was a lot of stuff that were going on it was just like good to

Get a couple of days to get a good sleep and uh you know to to sometimes when you’re in the woods you cannot see the W because of the one tree that’s in front of you so this was really good opportunity for everybody to reflect to charge batteries and come back ready to

Work coach you called it from LA Scotty Barnes being an Allstar but to see him go through this weekend how much of an affirmation is it for him and yourself as well in terms of development and where you see him um I mean what I what

I said I said and I really believe in that I think that old star is uh is something that that very Scotty belongs uh I’m really glad that league and coaches that everybody recognize the value that he brings to our team um and uh I think uh it speaks volume about

Resiliency of our group as well and um our whole group everybody were so excited and and pumped for him and uh you know happy for him at the same time it’s it’s a big obligation it’s a it’s not um it’s not final goal it’s it’s just like the first step in everything

That he wants to achieve that we want to achieve and uh big obligation to put a lot of work in and to be hungry to go there again to make this uh this uh like not 10 straight old Stars instead of just like showing up one time so there

There has to be a lot of growth on his part and our part is as a group as a team to get him and some other guys to the allar how valuable do you think the experience is for a young player I know he’s there the last couple years is

Rising star game but I guess this is a little bit different now being around those guys the best players in the NBA even like the Legends the Hall of Famers is that something that he can kind of take with them as well I believe so I think it’s important when you know share

The locker room with some of those guys when you have conversations side conversations with them uh when you you know I I gave advice of to Scotty before he went there talk talk to to to to guys go grab Kevin Durant ask him like you know you’ve been watching those guys for

Years now you have a chance to to share the locker room with them and uh you know you have a chance to to talk basketball with them and if you pick up one thing from them is that a working habit or a trick or whatever it might be

It’s awesome but also just like being aware what kind of honor is to be there and to represent your team and and uh Raptors and and yourself it’s just very very valuable Emanuel is just here telling us about how he’s still learning as a as a starter as as a starting point

Guard what do you see in him as he develops over the past 20 games uh I see a lot lot of potential and I see that we are just scratching the surface and uh days like this are awesome because they give us opportunity to coach and uh

Really to to get those reps and do it live in 505 setting not just like walkthroughs and shoot arounds you know I I think uh you know when you put a work in one thing that you don’t see you don’t you don’t see results right right

Away you know and that’s uh that’s like instant gratification does not exist trust me I wish that we are win 27 games straight and we going to win a championship this year that’s what I want that’s what I wish but uh at the same time we got to be really focused uh

On on making things better every single day is that individually is that as a group and continue moving this positive energy that we have around the team into into something special you know and uh I think everything that we’re doing right now is going to trickle into great

Summer for our guys great development for them and continue growth is there a specific focal point or goal that you have between now and the end of season oh yeah to get better every single day and to put as much work as possible you know I think this this group needs work we

Need to find days that we can push the envelope and go into live setup and play five on five and you know some sometime like literally like for for for development of this group practice is even more important than the game because in a game it’s it’s kind of like

Test practice is where you can stop and do it again and make Corrections and explain things so so practice is extremely important for us and obviously we’re going to use every single game as opportunity to fight to go out there to give our best and and to grow and to

Learn you mentioned uh Eman is one of the better pull-up Shooters three-point Shooters a while ago um numbers have dipped in that respect but his catch shoot numbers have crazy since joining Raptors what do you attribute sort of the changing in his efficiency uh I mean uh it’s one thing when you

Come off the bench and when you play against second second unit guys the other thing is when you started on a team and one of the most important players on the team uh different kind of Defenders are guarding you different kind of coverages different teammate is

Setting a screen for you um there is a lot going through his mind he’s trying to you know be aware where his teammates are how to find them to find a balance of between being aggressive and to run the team and that’s not a skill that you

Obtain over the night and all over the course of 15 20 games you know I think uh uh time is very very important there and and patience with him to figure those things out and regarding percentages uh he’s going to have one game he’s going to shoot nine out of 10

Threes and those percentages are going to even up and uh you know he’s putting the work in uh to put himself in situation to to grow and to to be successful you talk the value practice but what’s the value in sort of being a part of the play in race and having some

Meaningful games down theet uh it’s it’s very important you know that was uh our my opening uh statement with the team yesterday that uh we want to take uh every game seriously and we want to have the best preparation and we want to go into every single game

Competing and trying to to catch up for a play in and uh try to make the playoffs and uh and to to to grow at the same time like all of those those aspects are very important for us thanks all right thanks for watching watching the Toronto rappers YouTube

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Players and Coach address the media following Wednesday’s practice.

00:00 Scottie Barnes
05:03 Immanuel Quickley
10:18 Darko Rajakovic

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