3 d. ago Raptors faith in coach Darko Rajakovic only adds to pressure of making playoffs

Reportedly, the Raptors made the pre-emptive move to exercise the club option on Darko Rajakovic’s contract even before opening night on Oct. 23 when the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have emerged as legitimate title contenders, came to town. The fact the Cavs left Toronto with a 136-106 win didn’t seem to justify the Raptors’ faith in […]

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4 d. ago Raptors coach defends Toronto as 'one of the best cities in the world'

During their 30 years of being an NBA franchise, the Toronto Raptors have often been fighting an uphill battle to earn recognition from players around the league.As the only current Canadian team in the league, Toronto has often struggled to attract top free agents, while fighting for media relevancy south of the border.In recent weeks, ex-Raptors Thad Young, Rudy Gay, and Lou Williams had all made remarks about some of the downsides about playing in Canada, with one uniting factor being an added trip to the customs line at the airport each time the team returned to Toronto.But for Serbian-born Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, he wasn't buying into any of the perceived downsides of having an NBA career in Canada."Toronto is one of the best cities in the world. Toronto Raptors have the best fans in NBA. It's a privilege to play in this city," Rajakovic said Friday in response to our question."It's amazing every time I go out, when I go to the store, and when I talk to regular peop...

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5 d. ago New pickleball court is about to open in the middle of a Toronto mall

Grab your paddles and lace up those running shoes, because Toronto is about to get a brand-new pickleball court, and it's located smack-dab in the centre of one of the city's most popular malls.Last summer, it seemed like all the sporty-and-fun population of Toronto could talk about was Pickleball. The relatively low-barrier, low-impact and low-cost sport has taken the city, and the world at large, by storm, leading it to earn the distinction as the fastest-growing sport worldwide, adored by athletes and casual players of all ages, abilities and ilk.When it comes to Toronto, the foundation of devoted pickleball clubs like The Jar and Fairgrounds only heightened the fever, making the sport more accessible for pickle-thusiasts the city over, and this summer is shaping up to be no different. If warm weather ever arrives to stay, that is.In anticipation of prime pickleball season, though, there's already some news for avid players (and aspiring ones) to get excited about: The ...

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6 d. ago True measure of Darko Rajakovic’s coaching merits won’t arrive until next season

The dark days of the Darko Rajakovic era in Toronto will soon make way for brighter times when his coaching acumen will truly be measured. When he was named to succeed Nick Nurse, the deck was stacked against Rajakovic, a noted developer of young talent. A changing of the guard would see stalwarts OG Anunoby […]

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6 d. ago ‘Absolute privilege to play in our city’ Darko Rajakovic responds to ex

'Toronto is one of the best cities in the world,' Rajakovic said.

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7 d. ago ‘Not Like Us’: Saskatoon Blades maintain underdog identity to begin WHL playoffs

Playoffs have arrived for the Saskatoon Blades, who head into the WHL post-season with a much younger team than in years past, hungry to prove their doubters wrong.

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3 w. ago Last Toronto Raptors player from 2019 Championship team keeps getting benched

Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher has pretty much seen it all since joining the franchise nearly seven years ago.The longest-tenured player on the roster, who's suited up for 406 games with Toronto, Boucher's one of the few people who have stuck around to see out the Raptors rebuild over the past few seasons.But while he's played in Toronto more than any of his teammates, suiting up isn't exactly something he's doing right now.Boucher has sat out the last seven contests, six of which were listed as coach's decisions, with one absence on March 7 related to a wisdom tooth extraction. In total, Boucher has 14 "did not play" designations on his game log this season, despite not dealing with any reported major injuries.When he has played, Boucher has been one of the team's most reliable bench contributors, averaging 10 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 50 games this season.As per Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic, the team met with the 32-year-old to discuss his role with the ...

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3 w. ago The one factor key to how the Toronto Raptors schedule travel on NBA road trips

The Toronto Raptors, like most NBA franchises, have always had a habit of having a strong attention to detail.Second-year coach Darko Rajakovic lines up well with that phenomenon, having garnered a reputation for his meticulous development plans for each and every player.Recently, the Raptors skipper joined the X&Os Chat podcast in his native Serbian, where he dove into many topics, including his journey into the NBA and how he deals with coaching young players.But perhaps the most interesting insight involved Rajakovic explaining how he prioritizes sleep when the team goes on road trips, including working with the team staff to ensure their travel schedule is as smooth as possible."Sleep is the cheapest and the best medication not only for professional athletes, but for every person. When you sleep well, you are in a better mood. It regulates body chemistry and proper nutrition throughout the day… you don't change your patterns," Rajakovic said on the show."Tru...

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