Toronto Raptors Media Availability | January 25, 2024

Toronto Raptors Media Availability | January 25, 2024

Dennis with uh emanuel’s injury and maybe missing tomorrow’s game there’ll be more of a workload on you what kind of opportunity does that present for you I mean same mindset just uh going out there try to get a w um just uh being aggressive uh set my teammates up like I

Always do and go out there and try to get a win against uh a great team with the uh trads that this team’s gone through there have been more three guard sets how’s that impacted your playing uh having three guards three per players out there instead more of a wing based

Offense I mean uh I always find my ways uh I don’t really don’t really matter who is in that you know um or on that team I always try to you know impact winning and uh I think um I mean it’s we’re not winning uh too much right now

But we still you know try to figure out our ways um to get W’s you know um it’s hard to win in this this league and we are working every single day to uh get to winning Dennis this is the time of the year leading up to the deadline

Where there’s always noise around the league and obviously there’s uncertainty here how do you approach it do you sort of just tune out that noise and is it something that over the course of your career that you’ve gotten used to doing or come easier to do I mean it’s my 11th

Season um I think every T deadline um my name wasn’t conversations and I got traded once in my career um and that one was really obvious at the end of the day your salary don’t change uh you just get to play basketball um in the best league in

The world so I mean for me uh maybe for my wife because she got to like figure other stuff out but um I mean uh we you know grateful uh for this opportunity and if uh you know you get traded you just uh go with it have you talked to

Any of the younger guys just about like what this time of year is like and I mean I always try to you know help uh the young guys um talking to them and I mean it’s uh it kind of got to like a a big event now uh to deadline I I don’t

Like it but at the end of that yeah it’s just uh disgusting but uh at the end of the day um I’ll talk to you know the guys in the locker room uh try to you know keep him engaged and uh just go day by day what’s it like for you the

Organization has talked a lot about prioritizing development of the young guys and putting those guys in situations that they maybe haven’t been in before as a veteran on this team what’s that like for you I mean there uh we got you know OG uh we don’t have OG

No more precious uh sakam um I mean they was the face of this team you know and um now we got Scotty um who’s really developed you know the last 3 years um and they want to you know build it around him so at the end of the day they

Got good pieces around them um we just got to you know uh like I always say day by day get better and find ways to win as a team and um I mean I try to do the best I can you know just to help the

Young guys quick even RJ they come up to me have questions um I’m always you know all ears and try to uh help them you know improve Pro every single day and I think that’s why you know that um Garrett um all those you know veterans

Is here I think we’re doing a great job of it what will it mean to have Yak back soon for oh it’s big time I mean Yak is uh I always say he’s one of the uh one of the greats uh in in uh in that Center

Position um I’m talking about just you know um impact winning um doing the right things for the team being unselfish uh rebounding bling shots changing shots uh rolling on the offensive end putting pressure on the whim so um we missed him a lot you know he’s working right now uh try to

Get back and uh when he’s back we going be um even better obviously how do you measure success on a team from your veteran like perspective uh when they’re so young I mean we still want to it don’t matter how young we are we still want to

Win uh I mean for me like I said in every season I still want to make the playoffs and at the end of the day there still the goal here you know um we try to you know get better every single day um even if it’s you know um right now

Kind of hard um when you lose a couple of games you know you’re supposed to win as well um but we we like I said we we going to stay uh engaged and um still even if we you know try to or brought new guys in

And uh we learning in each other team chemistry we still want to you know win games you obviously played against quick before he got here what have you learned about him since being you know being around him a great guy um good guy that’s uh the first uh important part uh

Off the on the court I mean we know what he does you know a great shooter um I mean getting to the line uh his floaters um so I mean as a person he’s he’s a great guy and I think he can uh do a lot uh in this

League um I’m feeling pretty good uh it’s I mean it’s not fun doing re I’d rather be out there playing um but I think I’ve made pretty good progress um all in all it’s been a a pretty positive experience like no no real setbacks or or nothing like that so I’m I’m feeling

Pretty good when it happened like did did it flare up pretty bad the next the next day the next morning cuz I know you played through it a little bit um I mean it pretty much flared up right away uh I think right after it happened

I knew I was at least going to be out for a couple games but when I got up and I was running on it it felt fine I’m guessing just like being warm and like the adrenaline and stuff like that let me play through it um but I knew it was

Going to be like a fairly significant injury uh yeah and then we just waited on the on the MRI results and stuff like that when it happened you stepped on passal fo he’s no longer here we haven’t spoken to you since then what has that been like for you

What with Pascal gone yeah um I think I mean for me for me it was tough because I I think he was the guy that was closest to on this team like we also have like a big history with him like um we’ve we’ve known each other for

For a long time now um it’s also one of those things where um I guess I was mentally prepared for it a little bit already just because there was so many rumors like there was so many talks going on and stuff like that I I knew it

Was a possibility um so it didn’t it didn’t hit me out of nowhere I guess so like that made the the process a little bit easier but it’s still it’s really sad for me to um yeah like basically lose my best friend on the team is it

Tough I mean when you signed here when you resigned here you weren’t quite sure at the time what what Fred’s plans were now now OG and Pascal and sort of seems like the direction here has shifted over the last few months has that changed things for you just in terms of like

Mindset and and how kind of you’re approaching things uh not necessarily like the only thing that was important to me is that I was on on a team that could play competitive fastball like um as long as long as it’s not like a a team that like was really actively like

Trying to tank I guess uh is like the thing for me like I want I want to play on a team that’s trying to win every night um so um for me like even though we had some changes we lost some really good players like I think we’re still on

A course where we’re trying to like build around this team right now and we’re not like hunting for number one draft piic you know what I mean so uh as as long as that’s um that’s the case I I think I’m I’m going to be happy here

And and I’m hoping to contribute to this like new kind of raptors team this new project that we’re starting kind of circling back the past go have you been able to talk to him much or get on a phone with him in our chat um I I did

Talk to him I talk to him the day he got traded in a couple of days afterwards as well um and he seemed pretty happy he said that the first couple days out there went pretty well like obviously a weird feeling uh new team for the first

Time in in eight years uh but um yeah all in all he seemed in in pretty good spirits so I was happy for him were you able to give him any advice of somebody who has been traded yourself um I mean not so much advice we were just more

Joking around about it about like similar experiences he had on the first couple of days uh days um yeah uh I think uh it’s always going to be a weird feeling and for him especially being in one spot for that long dark always talk about prioritizing development over

Everything else you talked about you know value and winning over everything else do you still feel how how do you balance those two things and how do you feel the organization balancing those things I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’m prioritizing winning over everything else I just want to be competitive

That’s the that’s the main thing I I think understanding where your team is at and and what’s important to get to a point where you can really prioritize winning and and go for a championship I think that’s the most important part I know you’ve only played with Emanuel for

Like four games so far but what has stood out to you about him since he’s arrived um I he’s a very good shot Creator um for himself and for other for others uh he he’s very fast on the ball and like he’s he’s a really good shooter out out

Of those like pick and roll situations so um playing pick and roll with him like it’s a little bit of an adjustment but it’s a it’s a comfortable role for me as a big because he’s attracting a lot of attention um to him and for me

It’s more just about like trying to free him up as much as possible because I know it’s going to then help me get open or or or help another teammate on the court somewhere get get open more often and more easily I know been H um jonte

Has stepped up in the starting center role what do you think of his performance in your absence um I think he’s done really well uh obviously there’s a there’s a learning curve like you you kind of get thrown in the deep end there um playing like real minutes

For for us for the first time and um having to start and like having to guard um starting centers and all this type of stuff having to learn rotations very quick um but I I think he’s done really well um he’s kind of stepped up in his role

Like he’s done more the like pick and pop situations like open out uh knocking out open shots there uh and I think it’s only going to get better I know that uh obviously sitting up sucks um but the the benefit is you kind of get to watch

Your team and see where things are on the court from a different perspective a little bit do you feel like you have any takeaways from this time of just observing what’s happening out there um maybe a little bit but um I guess for me I’ve always felt like I I get a better

Sense for it when I’m actually on the court and then also um like we’ve we’ve almost shifted our game a little bit because like with with Jon being like more of like a pick and pop three not so much a uh a big not so much a pick and

Roll big and then uh that out there be more like a facilitator like I think our our offense and and our structures look a lot different with them on the court compared to when for example I’m on the court or when we were playing like a a

Small ball lineup with Scotty at the five like so it’s it’s all very different um so um it’s I guess for me personally when I’m out there like there’s not that much that I’m like trying to take away from this cuz it’s almost like a little bit different

Identity did you read Pascal’s player Triune do you remember him shotgunning his first beer he said CAU him I I do remember that yeah was it good uh it was not good but it was fun yeah in addition uh obviously to recovering from the injury there’s the process of getting your conditioning

Back after missing some time where do you feel like you’re at in that process and do you get a sense of when you might be able to get on the court again uh to be honest I I don’t really have a straight up answer for you I I don’t

Know going to have to talk to more like the the medical staff about that stuff um really when when I’m out there on the court and doing my workouts like the ankle feels really good um so it’s more just about I guess taking this step by step and like making sure that uh

I’m I’m not going to have any setbacks and stuff but um so far like I said we we made progress every day so I’m happy about that understand Emanuel didn’t participate in practice do you have an update on him uh yes in the last game uh

Um he was dealing with uh right tie contusion and uh it was becoming sore so we decided uh that uh for the best of his recovery is uh uh not for for him not to practice uh today and uh we’re just going to be evaluating him day by

Day he’s coming with us on this road trip uh but uh uh we’ll see when he’s going to be able to to join us and play he’s going to sit out tomorrow I believe so yes your back a little Bit next man up next man up uh Scotty uh will be our point guard to start the game uh we have still Dennis coming off the bench who brings a lot of energy there to the team uh so next man up it is what it is

You like the way denn of settled into that role as a guy energy guy the Bening up that second I uh definitely I think uh when he comes off the bench uh and that’s pretty early in that first quarter around uh six uh six minute Mark

Uh he right away he brings intensity on defensive end uh he’s picking up full court uh he can got uh players that from positions from round one to three uh and also like he he gets us stabilized offensively there as well uh gets us in offense organized really well will yob

Be able to play tomorrow will he be available uh we got to see tomorrow but um I I will call it doubtful at this point fre Liberty you know we seen a couple minutes of you guys’ first NBA basket how have you seen his game change

In the months he’s had with you guys and what would you like to see from him um he is the guy that uh really is uh is working uh uh very hard uh I think that he took advantage of playing with N9 of5 to the best of the ability um he’s

Continuing to uh to develop his offensive game with playing without a ball being on the ball as well um obviously now on the G leag level he has capacity to score uh um and I think that his game translates to NBA as well so I’m looking forward to have a to have

Him on our team and to get even more opportunities and see what we have with him how did the uh unofficial Trading Camp day to go for you today it really felt like a training camp uh great energy in the gym uh guys uh yesterday and today they they get their old best

Uh we were able to teach a lot teach some uh basic basic stuff that we were teaching in the training camp uh we had two good film sessions yesterday and today uh so good wibes uh 100% focus on us and our development what was the focus yesterday and what was the focus

Today on uh yesterday we did a a lot of out how we got in the three-point line um offensively we did uh some uh scripting basic stuff that we’re running on offense and today we did more of a stations work and parts of the offense parts of the defense we worked on our

Shell defense worked on a boxing out uh working on on uh protecting the paint all bunch of stuff um when you think of Qui lanard what what comes to mind in terms of just a presence on basketball um force of nature uh he’s the player who is a proven winner uh

With different NBA organizations obviously uh he was big part of the team uh that uh Raptors had here in 2019 uh help the team win the championship um he’s just the player I was actually with with s Antonio uh when uh when we traded

Um uh when we traded for him so I was able to follow of his career from the start from his very first uh summer league and uh it was amazing just like a transformation of his shot and everything that he was able to do in in

That like first off season U if I uh don’t mistake I think it was a lockout year so the season started quite a bit later um and uh um he just continues to improve every s single year you know he’s adding more stuff to his game and

Uh obviously one of the best two-way players in the league I mean one guys who can change the game defens is that he can affect the game very very well and change it we saw here for year for sure like his physicality uh long arms

Uh big hands uh he is really good in deflections and stripping stripping the ball but also he’s just uh always in the right position he knows the Tendencies of the players uh he’s just like very very complete player did you did you project him I mean you never know right

But you in those early days you said this guy going to be a guy been dominated on both ends cuz initially was projected to be mostly a defensive stopper and you see you know what else everything else is kind of I did not maybe maybe some uh better

Experts did uh obviously uh when you when you get the rookie players and then you get players in the league so many things that can affect their their their development you know situations opportunities the style of play it’s it’s a lot of things that they got to

Fall into the right place for them to succeed and uh he he was lucky to be on really good uh San Antonio teams to get opportunity very early to play with with some of Hall of Famers and they were big part of his development to play for one

Of the best uh coaches in you know that this game ever saw and Coach po you know he he was he was lucky enough to be in a great situations this this organization is talking about the value of developing for wi how do you balance making sure the young guys are getting opportunities

While also trying to build those winning habits on the so win games uh it’s is is is the there has to be right balance right there has to be accountability for young guys for all the players uh the main vision is developing a young core and uh how this

Organization is going to look in the future and establishing foundation for the future of of this team um now every single day we’re preparing to to go out there and compete you know and to do our best against any opponent that’s that’s that’s on on the other side and I think

That kind of mentality is uh is is healthy one you know you want to be competitor you want to be winner you got to go through that now when we win we got to be able to come back watch film analyze it and and uh get better when we

Lose we got to do the same thing come back watch film go back to practice and and continue getting better but uh uh giving young players and our core players opportunities uh to succeed and fail that’s that’s the the only way we can continue to grow with development

Being such an emphasis over the second half of the season and Brady getting more opportunities here what are you looking for from him like when when he’s out there to kind of let you know that he’s taking the steps that that you need him to take um first of all defensively

To be able to uh to stay in front of the ball uh to continue developing his habits uh where he’s on when he’s off the ball as well understanding the spacing on the court understanding the Personnel of NBA players uh that’s that’s just learning process for him and

Then uh on offensive end is about uh proper spacing getting uh good shots uh not forcing things allowing game to come to him uh playing without a ball with with a lot of pace and cutting and continue to build that that has to be the Baseline for him and build off of

That where have you seen the biggest difference in him from spending time with him over the summer or in training camp is it on the court is it off the court physically mentally it’s it’s all all of the stuff together you know uh coming to uh different country uh new

Team new environment all of that you know takes time you know uh I remember first game that we played he was late late to come to scosa Bank Arena because he did not understand what kind of traffic we have in in Toronto you know and um after that he’s just like he’s

Our always first one to come to the gy to to to scosha Bank Arena to come to the gym now it just like takes time for to find those habits to find Rhythm uh on the court I think he he improved physically I think that the plan that we

Have with our strength uh conditioning uh and performance uh the team is is giving good results and you can feel the way he’s moving on the court the way like he’s starting to to you know not to look like a teenager out there but actually to transform into men which is

Normal thing for a 20-year-old coach on a team standpoint obviously there’s es and flows of every season but what’s the biggest indicator of development that you’re that you’re looking for from this group for the rest of the season um I think it’s it’s uh uh how we’re building

And uh how that fits into the vision of development of SC Barnes how that fits in the development of Emmanuel quickley RJ Barrett uh Grady uh all of the young pieces that we have and then veteran players that we have on a team how they

Can best uh uh help them and help the team and how that team is going to continue to grow you know I think uh finding the Chemistry Between The Players understanding uh who uh who likes what and where their strengths uh you know um I asked our players today

Who is the player who is shooting the best three point percentage in the league above the the three point above above the break and they gave me a couple of names but they missed the name of Emanuel quickly and he’s really one of the best uh in the league of shooting

Above the break and shooting off the dribble you know so um educating uh our whole team what we have on a team and how we can play to our strengths is is going to be big part of what we’re developing and then establishing our defensive habits you know uh really

Improving our on ball defense improving uh protecting paint you know even we’re missing Yak now we got to find a way to how to to rebound the ball better you know as a group so it’s all over you know development NBA Allstar starters will be announced tonight and then it’s

On to you guys to figure out who the rest of the bench will be on the team how are you going to go through that process and figure out who’s on the reserves for the All-Star uh I always like to meet with uh with uh coaching

Staff and talk about it we want to be fair we want to to uh take a look at the different players around the league and how they affect uh you know their teams and winning uh and uh just be as objective as we can why you set up

Because you’re above the break guy why why do you see that as and uh I don’t think we uh I I I talked about quickly being good about the break guy obviously Corner three is the best three that you can get on the floor and we those shots

As well and we want to have uh I think right now we’re averaging around uh 10.5 quarter 3es we want to have above 12 corter threes a game and that’s about spacing we literally talked about that this morning DG that we need to get more quter threes uh so I love Corner threes

But also when you have a player like uh quickly who can really stretch the defense and extend the defense that’s that’s opening up a lot for for everybody you know as a team we need more Corner threes quickly as a uh particular play player he needs to be

Able to give us those because when you think about players of Steph Curry Dame Lillard and how they affect the game with their uh three-point shooting and deep range it just opens up so much thanks for watching the Toronto rappers YouTube channel check out our latest video And subscribe for more a wide

The that was great

Players and Coach address the media following Thursday’s practice.

00:00 Dennis Schroder
05:31 Jakob Poeltl
12:38 Darko Rajakovic

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