Ochai Agbaji Shares How Raptors Coach Darko Rajaković Has Helped in His Development

How would you describe Darko Rajaković?

Jovial? Friendly? Easy going? Patient?

The Toronto Raptors head coach has presented himself as the anti-Nick Nurse. If Nurse was the militant, old-school coach, unafraid to call players out publicly or bench someone for an off night, Rajaković has appeared to be the opposite.

“I’m not the one who’s gonna go to media and complain about players,” he said before the All-Star Break. “I’m always going to protect my guys and I want to go into war with my guys, I want to have their backs in the public eye.”

But it’s not quite that simple.

Rajaković isn’t some vanilla happy-go-lucky coach just here for the rebuild.

“Intense — I think that's the one thing that really describes him is just intense every single second, every single day,” Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji said Wednesday following shootaround. “He wants the best out of us and that's how he brings it. I think he's a lot different than a lot of other NBA coaches. And I think that's what makes him unique and special.”

Rajaković is intense about player development.

Ask anyone who has worked with him, it’s what he’s passionate about. It’s what he’s been focused on all season. Sure, winning matters. He doesn’t dismiss that, but from the day he landed the job in Toronto he’s been hyper-focused on getting the most out of his players in the long run.

“I think it's just something that he's trying to build here and create here, as far as this culture is, you know, working hard every day and every rep counting and not taking anything for granted on the court,” Agbaji added. “Whether it's in practice or in the game obviously, every possession means something.”

For Agbaji, it’s been helpful having Rajaković in his corner as the sophomore guard tries to prove himself after the Utah Jazz essentially gave up on him at the trade deadline.

The 23-year-old was in a full sweat working on his three-point shot during the open-to-media portion of shootaround Wednesday afternoon and in the small sample size of six games as a Raptors, that work with Rajaković and Toronto’s staff is paying off. Agbaji is shooting 35.3% from three-point range and has had back-to-back double-digit performances for the Raptors as he’s found a groove in Toronto’s second unit.

“I want to turn it up a notch for him and show him what I have,” Agbaji said of Rajaković.

It’s helped that Rajaković connects with his players on a personal level. It’s easier to be that intense coach behind the scenes when the players know you have their back. There are no ulterior motives.

“I think that that brings the best out of players, that makes them feel more comfortable,” Agbaji continued. “Especially, like I said, new guys coming in, new faces around here, and making them feel comfortable and acclimated to the culture is the way to do it.”