Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | March 22, 2024

Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | March 22, 2024

Uh kind of nice to to get in a game like that to get off to a good start against a really good team what what were you how were you feeling early that you were able to get off that first quarter um felt good you know just trying to be as

Consistent as I can and just come in know the same way that I always do whether it be coming off the bench or starting games and um kind of getting first taste of NBA basketball where it’s a lot of changes you know in lineups um I mean talking with Garrett this might

Not be as normal as um he’s used to but I mean it’s just I think in my um preparation as as a young guy it’s it’s good for me to see that and just kind of be prepared for whatever lineups out there are you learning uh habits in this

Stretch even though the games are wins so learning habits will help you in the end of the year and into next season of course and I think um yeah we want to win games and that’s always the goal that’s the number one priority but I mean you know like I said a little

Earlier with me being the rookie and the new guides um you know I’m thankful to be out there and competing you know every every night and um just try my best to put us in a position to win um and do my part but um at the same time

Off the court I think is where I see it most for building good habits and that’s just with time management that I not used to with you know not having to go to class all that good stuff so um just building building good habits really is

Is the main thing I rather than the volume of minutes what seems most different about these minutes that you’re getting in these games where you’re obviously M missing a bunch of regulars like is it having the ball a bit more is it who you’re playing against what feels like the most

Important experience that you’re getting right now I think just you know with those minutes just getting used to um using them you know to the fullest I can I I think and you know you see that when you know I was coming in earlier when we had you know going full

Strength and I’d be in there you know for a little little stints and um I think that you know taught me a ton but that just taught me to you know take it don’t take it for granted you know I’m in um for a little more so it’s just one

Of those things where um I can’t find myself kind of just being like a daac Cole um just sitting in the corner whatnot just trying to be active and um just play my role as best I can and not try to do too much and play out of my

Role you mentioned off the court H habits and routine with the minutes up recently playing starters minutes have you found that you’ve had to do anything differently in terms of routine managing your body differently between games definitely recovery wise um you know I try to maintain a kind of consistent um

Recovery you know either way if I play a lot if I don’t um but yeah obviously a little more recovery now um that the minutes are more um and I think the great thing with you know our team is our vets you know Garrett does an

Amazing job of you know all the seasons he’s played he finds out what works for him and kind of gives me a little advice and tips of um what I can do ice bath cold bath you know kind of both and build off that but yeah just kind of um

Buying into that is is definitely huge and so a lot uh a lot what people don’t see I guess and are you part of development of course as a team is also just like playing through mistakes um how do you guys like you know learn to keep focused through like mistakes that

Happen on the court naturally but not letting that tumble weed or like collect too much I think it’s just kind of the mindset that I takeen to shooting wise it’s just kind of keeping that short-term memory of you know make a shot miss a shot you just move on the

Next play and don’t let it kind of be on your head cuz then you know you’re going to be thinking about that not what you’re doing on defense and that kind of goes into turnovers you know if you turn the ball over and we’re you know staying

Back and not getting back on defense and that just kind of puts us in the hole um you know four on five whatever it may be but um I think we just you know we we buy in and know that you know we’re all going to turn the over turn the ball

Over here or there and not try to get on each other cuz we don’t and so that’s why I love you know keeping that chemistry up and just Good Vibes there were a couple moments tonight where Darko kind of pulled you to side had a conversation what was he kind of what

Kind of feedback was it giving you in those moments just different things on defense offense um where to be in my spots uh you know I got back cut um in the first half and um that was when we were in kind of our low Zone and so it’s

Um one of those things where you know he saw it from a different perspective and him obviously having way more knowledge you know as the coach he knows where I need to be and um just sharing that with me and um making that change so I’m

There where you I can get a stop you know on the offensive end just you know stay staying low different things like that where you know I’m not really seeing it when I’m going you know trying to go 100% and you know he’s just like you know slow down you know take your

Time and just let the game come to you and you know it’s just great advice Grady I know you guys didn’t spend a ton of time together in the 95 but you start with Javon tonight like you guys did with the 905 um cool to for you guys to

Be able to run that back and for you to see you know another kind of success like that through the 905 system of course I love Javon you know so um us being out there competing is just kind of a testament just hard work you know

Paying off and and um you know never given up really and it’s just one of those things where the season’s so long so you can’t just you know not be determined and just you know keep working and you let it all play out all things considered who you had and who

You were playing you must be pretty pleased with what you got especially Brady and Kelly look very comfortable um definitely there were stuff that we did well in a game tonight um I thought for the biggest part of the game uh our effort was there uh the

Biggest problem is was tonight our 27 turnovers 27 turnovers that leaded to 37 points uh uh off of that and it’s really hard to play when you constantly are having misad uh in uh transition and uh but the outside of that I thought that

That we did a good job as much as we you can do good job on guarding those guys and you know uh staying in front of sh Gil just making the his shots hard uh offensively I thought that ball movement was uh was good uh Grady especially

First half there he did a really good job of uh um creating shots for himself and for the team and team found him he was knocking down those shots we as a team do got to do even better job on fighting him uh uh when he’s open are

You finding Kell’s ability to score around a rim bonus something you’re discovering as playing more yes yes tonight uh the they OKC went with a small lineup they were switching lot one through five that’s why Kelly found a lot of opportunities around the rim um he’s been working a lot on on those

Finishes and angles that he can get when he’s playing the around the rim so it’s going to be continued uh continued work with him the 27 turnovers is that just the lack of familiarity with some of the guys on the floor or not having your usual primary ball handlers it’s it’s

Combination of those things for for sure um you know um some of those things came just over dribbling the ball uh some of those came actually from good plays from you know trying to to connect with teammates and we were just did not make the right read uh when it was uh too

Much crowd in the paint and somebody was open for a simple pass uh outside the three point L you and Mark kind of seem to be chatting quite a bit at the end there what were you guys anything you guys particular you guys are talking about at

The end of the game uh just a friendly talk how’s Garrett feeling after 18 15 minutes he’s I’m sure he’s feeling good I thought that he did a good job tonight uh he he was a great voice for our guys in the huddles uh helped us with u organization there offensively and

Defensively I thought that he he did well tonight har was talking pregame about the seeds that they were planting in OKC years ago when they weren’t winning a ton of games in the offense The Cutting and stuff like that do you feel like you guys are planting the

Seeds of an offense that hopefully will bear in a few years for sure that’s uh we’re you know that’s not typical and usual way of of playing with a lot of cutting and moving and passing and uh we were planting seeds and growing our players into those roles um it was

Really uh nice to see Javon who is a product of our 905 program and you know running the same system this year that he was able to uh to create some of those opportunities uh and layups coming of the cuts and out of the offense so it’s definitely one of the seeds that

We’re planting now and to grow thanks for watching the Toronto Raptor YouTube channel check out our latest videos and subscribe for more answers back Gary side step great got it

Gradey Dick and Head Coach Darko Rajakovic speak with the media following the Raptors’ 123-103 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. #Raptors #torontoraptors

0:00 Gradey Dick
5:10 Darko Rajakovic