Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and more on early impressions of Darko Rajakovic

Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and more on Darko RajakovicToronto Raptors players give their thoughts on what they have learned about Darko Rajakovic's character over the first few months of working with their new coach.

Video Transcript

GARY TRENT JR: To start off, being with Coach Darko so far in the weeks we've been together, it's been great. He's super receptive. His communication has been great. You know, whether it's talking about basketball. Whether it's talking about his kids, his coaching journey, how he got here, his story. As long as the other coaches as well, too, but it's been great.

I told him as well, too. This is the first time in my career-- I've been in the NBA six years, and I've had more conversations with him about anything than any coach I've ever had or played for. So that's been refreshing.

PASCAL SIAKAM: I think it's going well. I think he seems like a great person. You know, obviously, like, coming into the new, you're a new coach. You're coming in, and everything is exciting. Everything-- we're excited about the future, and it's refreshing talking to him, just how excited he is.

And I also think that, like, obviously my job is to also tell the realities of the things because I've been here know, and I know what it is. And so, I think we shared information, and I enjoy talking to him. But at the same time, it's just going to be, like, out there on the court, and just, like, when we go out there and got to figure out a way to win. Like, that's pretty much what it is. And I don't know if we're going to be great friends or not, like, but I know that I'm going to try everything to win. And you know, I know that that's what he's trying to do also, so I think we'll be on the same page in that sense.

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: I learned that he's really big on togetherness. Just being able to do everything together. So, yeah.

- He was talking about having you more at the elbow, more DHO stuff. Does that fit into the evolution of your game?

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: I mean, like I said. I'm here. He's getting to know me. I'm getting to know him. I'm trusting him. I think that's a two way street as well. That's a lot of responsibility, elbow, top of the key, all that kind of stuff. So it's just-- it's all part of the process.

SCOTTIE BARNES: First meeting with him, it was just seeing his energy. You know, he was smiling, happy, excited to be able to go on this ride together. So I think that's the main thing, him just bringing in that positive energy, bringing that good energy that's towards the team. I feel like that's just the main thing that there is. I'm a high energy guy. I'm always happy. See him smile, you know, I feel like we're going to be on a long ride together, you know. It's going to be-- we're going to make amazing things happen.

O.G. ANUNOBY: I've definitely talked to Darko a lot as well. Darko is just a great guy know. Fun to talk to. Loves talking basketball. Loves talking strategy. So we just talked a lot about offense, defense, just different things we want to do this season. It went well.

OTTO PORTER JR: He's a player's coach. You know, he's always asking questions to the players. He needs the feedback from us, what we see and how we feel out there on the court. It's a team game, and he's going to put us in the best position to succeed.

- Is there anything he's asked you that's surprised you, or you haven't been asked before, or what do you mean by that?

OTTO PORTER JR: No. He's just checking on everybody on a personal level, making sure we're getting ready for the season and where our mindset is that.

DENNIS SCHRODER: He keeps everybody in the locker room accountable. And I mean, we had Russell Westbrook. We had PG. You know, and he kept everybody accountable. And it's not to take them down. It's to lift them up. And that's from the first player to the 15th player, and that's what I really like about Darko.

As a person, I know how he is. He's a family person. And we had a lot of break bread together in OKC. His family is such close to me as well, and my family, my wife likes him as well. So it was an easy decision for me to come here because I know what he's about.

JAKOB POELTL: Obviously there are some things that we're going to default that are going to stay the same, but that high post offense, like trying to run the ball, like that motion offense through the five, is going to take some time getting used to. I think we had elements of that in the past, but it's going to be a bigger focus now. But I mean, I'm curious as well. I'm curious to see what it will look like in the first real games, like maybe a preseason game or even then, like, the first regular season games.