Raptors Coach Darko Rajakovic Says His Style Is Influenced by 2 Best Passing Players in the World, Both from His Country

The Toronto Raptors are the third-best passing team in the league, and among the top three, they have the highest field goal percentage. Behind this success is the system employed by their coach, Darko Rajakovic, who joined the team in 2023.

Rajakovic said he takes pride in passing. He added that this is how it should be, as he comes from a country that produced two of the best passing players in the world: Nikola Jokic and Milos Teodosic.

“I know about the passing, because the best passing five in the history of the game happens to be Serbian,” he said via reporter Toni Canyameras..

“You have Nikola Jokic, and the best passing point guard in the history of the game is Milos Teodosic.”

There is no question about Jokic, who has won three MVP awards as the superstar of the Denver Nuggets. He is on track to record back-to-back seasons averaging triple-doubles. His former teammate Russell Westbrook has done it four times.

Teodosic, meanwhile, spent most of his career in Europe and never averaged double-digit assists. He spent two seasons in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers when he was already in his early 30s.

Rajakovic also served as head coach of the Serbian national men’s basketball team.

Darko Rajakovic, Raptors’ injury woes

It is safe to say that Rajakovic’s system is working well for the Raptors, as they are on track to become a playoff team this season after missing it last year.

However, the job is not yet done, as they could still fall into the play-in tournament with eight games to go. The remaining schedule will be more challenging, with players continuing to miss games due to various injuries. The most notable is Immanuel Quickley, who has missed the last four games due to right foot plantar fasciitis.