’It is not like we now have Steph Curry sitting on the bench:’

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Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic hears the please to do one thing — something — to shake up his struggling staff, now losers of 10 of 13 video games after back-to-back losses on Friday and Saturday.

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Regardless of going up by 17 factors, the Raptors someway discovered themselves down by 10 factors for the tenth straight contest and extra importantly, misplaced 126-119 to a middling Utah Jazz staff. Normally the Raptors begin video games slowly, however this time they had been nice at first, earlier than issues went awry late.

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Rajakovic has been requested by the media repeatedly the previous few weeks about altering his beginning lineup and has resisted for varied causes, together with believing Scottie Barnes isn’t able to be a lead ball-handler but, a stance he appeared to melt a bit pre-game Sunday. However afterward he nonetheless appeared like somebody that doesn’t consider an answer will merely be discovered by tinkering with what he’s been given to work with.

“We’re taking a look at (choices) like all the time, (w) actually discuss it, like, what? How? Why? Who? These are the questions, however how does that affectt everybody else,” Rajakovic mentioned. “Positive, we will combine up rotations right here and there in the course of the recreation. It’s not like we now have Steph Curry sitting on the bench and I’m not placing him in on the courtroom. It’s one thing we’re taking a look at. We try to get some chemistry. We’re seeing some enhancements like we did within the first half. Nice first half. Why we didn’t do it within the second half? That we query,” he mentioned.

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“It’s not even actually about lineups. The identical folks had been on the courtroom within the second half as effectively, however we had been utterly totally different in the best way we performed within the second half. That’s the mentality that we’re going to take a look at and tackle … All people that touches the courtroom, you may have a accountability as a staff what must be carried out. The best factor is to vary lineups. However are these simply cosmetics, or are we addressing actual issues? We had (a) 16-point lead within the first half.”

Rajakovic is each proper that his staff at occasions will get the job carried out and that it’s puzzling why issues usually additionally fall utterly aside, however he’s additionally right that there isn’t a simple repair from inside. He would by no means come out and say it, however Raptors administration has saddled him with one of many worst collections of shooters and NBA high quality guards in your complete NBA. It traded away an excessive amount of draft capital and has not come near changing the expertise from the championship staff that has walked out the door. Even the helpful Otto Porter Jr. doesn’t appear wholesome sufficient to play greater than a few times per week, even after lacking nearly all of his preliminary season as a Raptor. The staff doesn’t seem assured that rookie Gradey Dick, billed as a fantastic shooter whereas at Kansasa and after being drafted thirteenth total, is able to contribute but, having only recently turned 20 years previous.

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Rajakovic labelled the Utah loss “demoralizing,” although his gamers pledged to remain upbeat in the course of the vacation season earlier than they arrive again recent subsequent week.

Rajakovic mentioned the back-to-back video games couldn’t be used as an excuse for operating out of steam. He additionally took some accountability. The eteam has misplaced 10 of 13. “I informed guys that, to start with, ‘me as a frontrunner of the staff, I bought to look within the mirror and see what I can do higher or totally different and the way I might help the staff higher,’” he mentioned.

“And I anticipate the identical factor from the teaching employees and all of the gamers to look within the mirror and consider themselves (with) what might be carried out, what every particular person can do higher to assist the staff. Now we have two days off. It’s Christmas. Individuals ought to spend time with household, but additionally it’s going to be very wholesome for us to consider what we will do in a different way and higher after we come again.”

What the entrance workplace can do in a different way is one thing to assist the rookie coach have a workable roster to handle.

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