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The Toronto Raptors have now officially turned a page in their franchise history books by announcing the organization's decision to hire Rarko Rajakovic as the squad's new head coach. This comes at the heel of Nick Nurse's firing a few weeks back as the Raptors look to a fresh start in 2023-24.
Unsurprisingly, Toronto supporters have taken to the streets of Twitter to share their reaction to this massive decision by the team. For those that don't have much of an idea regarding Rajakovic's background (after all, this is his first stint as an NBA head coach, and he also didn't play in the league in the past), below are some excellent points about what the 44-year-old will bring to the table for the Raptors:
New Raptors HC Darko Rajakovic has been in coaching for nearly 3 decades (he started coaching in Serbia at 16yo). Now 44, he's worked with Spurs, Thunder, Suns, Grizzlies and is widely regarded as one of the NBA's best in player development – a focus for the Raps in their search.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) June 10, 2023
I'm a bit late but wanted to give my thoughts on the Raptors hiring of Darko Rajakovic:
– I'm happy Masai didn't hire internally, we desperately needed a new voice
– Darko is more of a development coach, makes me think we're gonna rebuild now
– He's a very respected coach pic.twitter.com/KAeUMRWcJU
— . (@GTJGotNext) June 10, 2023
Rajakovic is known for his offensive prowess at previous stops with Phoenix and Memphis.
He’s an innovative mind that could fully unlock Scottie Barnes’ immense potential with the Raptors. https://t.co/QNhEq2uCIh
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 10, 2023
As expected, not everyone on the means streets of Twitter was delighted to hear this news. Rajakovic is anything but a household name, and some fans are feeling a bit aggrieved by the supposed “downgrade” from former head coach Nick Nurse:
Raptors went from Nick Nurse to Darko Rajakovic pic.twitter.com/OGbtboCc8I https://t.co/nFvZ6JrxYR
— MVP43🐐 (@StepBackPascal) June 10, 2023
Not that this is a shock, but Darko's spoken ideals on offense run somewhat counter to how the Raptors have played the past couple years
.5 players (quick decision makers), teamwork, in pursuit of "beautiful basketball"
Scottie Barnes touches going UP https://t.co/IxGOzcGAOG
— Samson Folk (the coach) (@samfolkk) June 10, 2023
Oh God. Here y’all go. We FINALLY hire and coach when y’all were complaining for weeks about how long it took. Now the new complaint is “Raptors still haven’t picked a direction”. Y’all are insufferable 😂 Like can y’all be happy for ONE moment.
— G (@GFergz) June 10, 2023
Other fans, however, took a lighter approach to this major development. One Raptors supporter even had to point out Rajakovic's potential connection to fellow Serbian Nikola Jokic:
The Raptors hired a Serbian head coach. Playing the long game. Respect. pic.twitter.com/BQBvUSppau
— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) June 10, 2023
To be fair, Darko Rajakovic has also played his part in scouting and recruiting in his previous stints with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Phoenix Suns, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, this does not mean that he's going to get access to the Denver Nuggets superstar, regardless if they share the same home country.
Be that as it may, there's a lot to be excited about for Raptors fans as they enter a new era — the Dark Rajakovic era.
