The Toronto Raptors have been rebuilding a championship core since the start of the decade, following their first-ever NBA championship in 2019. At the center of the Raptors' rebuild has been Scottie Barnes, the fourth overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. For Raptors head coach Darko RajakoviÄ, Scottie Barnes is his Michael Jordan in Toronto. All of our greatest coaches, who are fantastic coaches, thinkers, philosophers, workers, and everything else, none of them became that without a player, RajakoviÄ said in an interview with Aca StojanoviÄ via YouTube. My Michael Jordan is Scottie Barnes. He is a fantastic person, a young guy, with a big heart, a great worker, and I have great gratitude to him, and again, how God did it, that everything I see a basketball player doing, he sees it the same way. He is one of the very, very rare players in the entire NBA who is that level of a player- an all-star player, a franchise player- who wants to play pressing all over the court, who has defense as a priority and the first thing he thinks about.
Darko Rajakovic Has Great Gratitude For Toronto Raptors Superstar
RajakoviÄ thanked Barnes for making his job easy as the head coach of the Raptors, which has risen into one of the playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference after several years of not playing in the postseason. That's something that makes my job a lot easier. He is different, that he has different priorities, and he does different things. I wouldn't help the team, if I would have to be different, to do things that are outside of my philosophy, outside of what I love. Or I would have to do what players don't want to do. I would have be looking for a new job right now, he said.
And thanks to Scottie Barnes, and not just him, but the team of players, and the players that my front office brought, that are that kind of character, and guys who want to do some difficult things to come to victory. I am really extremely grateful to them, RajakoviÄ added. Since being hired as head coach in 2023, RajakoviÄ has revitalized the Raptors by guiding them back to the NBA playoffs last season with his high-ball-movement system, establishing himself as a fixture of the franchise's future. Barnes played 80 games for the Raptors in the 2025-2026 NBA season, averaging 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 50.7% from the field. His strong two-way play earned him a selection to his second All-Star game. Led by Barnes, the Raptors finished with the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference before losing in seven games against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last result: Cleveland Cavaliers 114-102 Toronto Raptors (2026-05-03). Recent form (last 5): 2W-0D-3L (LLWWL, most recent first); lost the last 2.
For the upcoming season, the Toronto Raptors are set to be among Eastern Conference contenders. With Scottie Barnes leading the charge, the Raptors are looking to build on their success from last season. And with Darko RajakoviÄ at the helm, the team is poised to make a deep run in the playoffs. The Raptors will look to continue their strong play and make a push for the NBA championship.
What happened?
The Toronto Raptors have been rebuilding a championship core since the start of the decade, following their first-ever NBA championship in 2019. At the center of the Raptors' rebuild has been Scottie Barnes, the fourth overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft.
Why it matters for Toronto Raptors
For Raptors head coach Darko RajakoviÄ, Scottie Barnes is his Michael Jordan in Toronto. All of our greatest coaches, who are fantastic coaches, thinkers, philosophers, workers, and everything else, none of them became that without a player, RajakoviÄ said in an interview with Aca StojanoviÄ via YouTube.
What comes next?
The Toronto Raptors are set to be among Eastern Conference contenders next season. With Scottie Barnes leading the charge, the Raptors are looking to build on their success from last season. And with Darko RajakoviÄ at the helm, the team is poised to make a deep run in the playoffs.
