Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame at Indiana Pacers | February 26, 2024

Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame at Indiana Pacers | February 26, 2024

All right RJ great game tonight of course uh what did you see out there especially when as you guys did a really great job of responding when the Pacers were going on runs yeah I think you know even the last game we played them we did

A good job you know all throughout the game and then they kind of you know made a push in the in the second half um so this game we just stayed true we stay strong all game and and we finish the game out uh coach said that you guys

Have just gained a lot of chemistry in the fact that you were able to practice like have three practices in the past week or so how much has that done for you guys collectively no it’s been great you know got those practices in so everybody’s on the same page and uh

Knowing what we’re doing out there you going back and forth with Ben obviously there’s a Canadian ties there but what were you able to see from your Vantage Point of just how lethal he can be on the floor I mean he he shot it very well

Tonight uh of course he shot made a lot of Threes um but he’s been aggressive you know I remember the first time I actually like got to play against him in a it’s like a team canidate training camp I didn’t know who it was and I was

Like whoa I was like that kid’s going to the league so yeah no he he’s really good and and he showed it tonight you know you think about a guy like Grady still so young in his career but kind of there for those moments what have you

Seen in terms of his confidence um three-point shooting but then also defensively as well GD man GD is playing really well he’s been playing at a really high level for about a month now so just happy for him and want to see his continue growth just in terms of

Scotty tonight he made uh franchise history with the number of Triple he’s had in a single season um what does that speak to his game and what’s it like to play off of him he’s all over the place I mean he’s just what he had five blocks

Too he’s he’s everywhere so I mean that you know that just showing the allar that he is RJ what is it do you need to get elbowed in the face to kind of get into that place of aggression or but what is it that kind of like turns turns

Up your level of like competitiveness aggressiveness in a game well I think this game especially knowing that we we just lost to you know like right before the break so it was it was still fresh you know and and everybody came in ready give credit to our whole team all right

Grady um your honor role you know the past couple of games have been very strong for you what are you seeing out there what’s it been like to kind of find your Rhythm on the court I mean just the same stuff that I’ve been saying of you know just being

Comfortable and you obviously I’m I’m the rookie new guy coming in I’m the new new rookie guy coming in and um you know each game’s a different You Know lesson and just trying to take um what I can get from each game and you know sit down

With coaches watch film and um seeing different things that I did here or there and um just try to build from it I feel like that’s what’s you know going each game something that I spoke to coach Darko about is just the fact that um it looks like you’re having some

Great offall movements in terms of your cuts to the rim getting some open looks there as well um how does that impact how you find shots more than just outside shooting uh you know it affects it a lot because um you know if you’re outside shooting and um they’re going to

Take you you knock down a couple you know they’re going to step up and then that gives you more room to kind of um utilize that and just play how the defense is um playing you and you know just take what they give you and you

Know if if they step out you know too much then that might be a chance where you go back door you know really just utilizing the floor and you know always going back what I’m saying of you know just talking to coach and you know he

Knows best and when I you know see things on film that you know here and there I can that I can fix and it’s easier to see and then just in terms of you know coach also pointed out you guys have had time to practice and really

Just get together as a team collectively has there been anything that um stood out to you in practice that you’re seeing now translating to the court or is it just a matter of like you’re spending enough time with these guys and you’re kind of finding the chemistry

Together I think it’s each practice it’s not really you know one main thing it’s really just all the guys you know collectively um just having that chemistry that we have and building it you know the the young Corp and just the team in general is you know it’s so much

Fun to be around and you know in practice you know celebrating and I think that’s um what helps us even more is when we’re all talking and just you know having a fun time that kind of translates to the court and then uh just in terms of Scotty tonight he had a

Franchise history um with his triple doubles in a single season uh what’s it like to play off of him how does he impact the impact the game from your perspective I mean he’s an Allstar for a reason and you know to be able to play

You know with him is you know it’s a blessing you know not a lot of guys like that um you get to come into as a rookie and play with and I’m fortunate that I get a guy like that where um I can you know help and he helps me you know even

More cuz you know when they’re all you know attracted to him you know it opens up you know my game for me and you know I hopefully um want to do that for him too so it’s it’s fun to play off see Scotty kind of adds the game his game

The ways which you have what did tonight kind of solidify for you with this BR um we know about Scotty that that he’s ultimately competitive he’s going to try to everything to to win and that kind of energy he brought tonight ended up uh triple double and five block shots he

Did great things there R get perfect no and I’m not expecting him to be perfect but when he has that kind of effort and he’s playing that way he just gets everybody else going he he puts the a lot of F into other people he’s motivating everybody to go to another

Level of competing and uh I thought that our guys tonight really competed f for out of the past three games of course do you feel like this has been maybe one of the most cohesive performances that you’ve seen collectively as a group on both sides of the Court um I I think so

It’s also the lock room and how guys are together and uh like that team atmosphere is is really good uh we were so lucky to have opportunity to practice three times in in a short period of time and that that really makes the difference you know you know quick you

Called me the the other night like coach and feel they getting our chemistry together and those practices are really important class they they feel when they getting getting better through practice so um schedule was good for us lead changes what became your difference for you considering how fast

The pace was of this game to start um our B main focus tonight was uh to prevent them to score a lot in the paint this is the best uh paint scoring team in the league uh our goal was to keep them uh at 50 points which we did we

Kept them at 50 points uh uh first two quarters we did outstanding job at a halftime they had only 20 the paint um and they’re just Relentless they keep coming at you nonstop they they they keep pushing the pace and uh I thought that the adjustments that we made along

The way the way we guarding uh mes Turner that was very important he he started game very hot but after that uh we we were able to to slow him down uh and we did really good job on H Burton as well you know we made it really hard

On him but you know what maing had an amazing performance uh Pascal had amazing performance tonight and still we found a way to to grab this Wi on the road with yab it was just stepped on it rolled just rolled his his ankle his feeling okay we just reevaluate in the

Morning you look at a guy like Kelly oin and the assist he’s been able to make most of them have come to a Grady or an oai what is it about him and his veteran presence that allows young guys to kind of eat as well um first of all he’s

Unselfishness and willingness to to share the ball knowledge of the game but also um specifically like those two guys they’re really really good Cutters like they’re really good playing uh off the ball and spacing uh so he’s trying to make everybody better on on the court I

Thought that he did the outstanding job tonight we ended up game with 35 assists so all of that talks about the way we play as a team and the level of confidence that Grady has and those big moments to be knocking down those shots is that something that you’ve seen so

Far in the league with guys that young in their career uh for sure um there are players that are just confident but his confidence is not coming from um nothing else than an extreme hard work you know and uh this is just beginning for him he

He’s going to have good games he’s going to have bad games but he needs to continue being in those situations to learn and get better and to get reps I thought that he did good job on both ends of the floor I thought that that he

Was good defensively as well a lot of focus of course is always on Grady shot which is coming along very very nicely however today I mean I noticed a lot of back cuts and some great cuts off ball um what did your what’s your takeaways from that that’s what he’s working on

You know um that’s exactly the the focus with his Player Development is a balance on his shot uh positions where he’s going to be on the court and also playing without the ball cutting moving finishing uh getting some offensive rebounds he was able to get I believe two offensive rebounds there in the

Fourth quarter they were huge for us I thought that he did really good job and then just in terms of RJ you know we saw a lot of progress as well from Emanuel quickly but what you’re seeing what did you see from RJ today um RJ uh he he

Played uh game to win he he was really good uh he was making uh right decisions right passes uh you know there was like some um three minutes to to to finish in the game and uh he didn’t catch the ball well he he missed the layup and uh I

Told him come on RJ we need you we need you to win this game and he just Li loves those moments he loves those challenges he he was able to get a stop and to knock down the three right after that thank you all right think ask about

Pizza I don’t know anything about pizza your coaching staff was coming off talking about pizza pizza pizza uh yeah so The Story Goes that I promised our guys early in the season that once we get three wins in the road then I’m going take them to a nice dinner but

Since we have such a group of humble guys they they said like we don’t need any any fancy place we can go for a pizza but we’re going to negotiate we going to go but I’ll treat them to dinner for sure okay are you a pepperoni

Guy what’s your favorite uh my pizza is only Margarita simple Italian pizza so pineapple is a noo [Laughter] no thanks for watching the Toronto rappers YouTube channel check out our latest video And subscribe for more in a crow wide open three the that was great

Players and Head Coach speak with the media following the Raptors’ 130-122 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

00:00 – RJ Barrett
02:06 – Gradey Dick
04:40 – Darko Rajakovic

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