Toronto Raptors Media Availability | April 01, 2024

Toronto Raptors Media Availability | April 01, 2024

All right Kelly um obviously yesterday you uh led the team in assists what’s it been like being SS a playmaker of the team with uh quick and bar yeah I mean someone’s got to do it um but I’m just trying to help the young guys know make it a little bit easier on

Them uh you know get them some easy looks some easy baskets um keep the continuity and flow of the offense a little bit uh cuz you know when you don’t have you know guys who make a bunch of plays for others gets all a little stagnant and it’s it’s tough to

Play like that you mentioned the young guys obviously you’re one of the more experienced players that’s active on this team right now for sure what’s that been like for you as sort of the veteran presence yeah I mean you know just bring that experience that knowledge so like I

Said just help help these guys anywhere you can on and off the court what makes a guy a good cutter good cutter I mean a lot of it’s timing um you know timing and uh you know after that got to be able to finish when you

Cut but um know a lot of it’s just timing and and knowing you know seeing the opportunities and and taking advantage of them um and and always being ready to cut you know a lot of Cutters like they just never stop moving um you know once the guy turns his head

He’s gone um you know just stay in constant movement you know but a lot I’d say the biggest thing is just timing cuz we could both make the same cut if I go too early or too late it’s not it’s not the same and I mean are you trying to

Contct the guy or you trying to a little bit but you know today’s game it’s like know you got the whole Court the whole field you know guys are all moving at once you kind of got to see the whole play so it’s not it used to be like kind

Of eye contact you cut but now is it’s kind of like you know if if you move then then I’ll find you kind of thing are some guys better at other definitely I mean some guys like grew up that’s how they played pass cut or they scored off

Cutters other guys have been Shooters spot up guys all their life they they’re not really tuned to cut all the time take a guy like Brady has a bit of both but seem chemistry yeah yeah yeah he can do a little bit of both and you know one

Thing is like you know if you if you if you’re a willing passer guys are more willing Cutters so that that kind of goes hand of hand so once they know that you’ll make the pass and you’re looking for them you’ll throw it know guys are willing to cut because

Nobody wants to run around for 48 minutes cutting all over the place and never touch the ball so had your game expanded in the last 10 games has my game expanded or improved or I mean I think you’re always trying to improve but I I mean I think I think

My role expanded I think my game kind of stayed the say I don’t know how much you expand your game in two weeks but yeah but yeah I think my role expanded definitely that brings different skill sets in the play yeah different skill sets I mean like you see I mean they

They were playing through me a lot more I mean we when we do quick or RJ yeah I mean I guess I guess I’m the primary playmaker you know we got a bunch of Shooters and Cutters and different guys on the floor but um we were kind of

Playing through me at the top a lot more what’s uh what’s been like getting back and getting into the Rhythm you must be pretty eager to play yeah man um can never take basketball for granted um anytime you get a chance to even come to the gym and just work on your game

And um be around the game that you love is is you don’t take that opportunity for granted so um just good to be back in the gym good to be back in uh Toronto um so I’m excited how supportive the organization during this time your teammates what’s it been like being back

Around the guys oh it’s helped out a lot um this organization has been nothing but great since I’ve been here um the support the love um that they show me over the past 10 to two weeks 10 days to two weeks has been you know unbelievable and uh I’m really grateful for them

Um uh he was like uh my dad very much in my life but he was just like another father figure to me uh been there every step of the way um College visits first basketball ever picked up he was he was right there with me um and he’s been

With me every step everywhere everywhere of the journey so uh he was somebody that was really close to me allu got around this team just got to wait till GL going to be over soon like with all the people people die it’s been a hard hard year yeah through all that

Um God has been nothing short of magnificent you know this whole year uh he’s been with me every step of the way I appreciate him um and just the love that people have shown uh the love I’m going to continue to show even through

My loss I hope can be an example uh to people that there’s hope still uh as long as you have Jesus so um you know that’s what I try to live by I’m curious how have people shown that love like what’s s of expression it’s not just I

Guess speaking to you but when have they di um there was like 10 to 12 people that came to my uncle’s funeral from the Toronto organization uh and they didn’t have to do that uh like you said love is an action word so it’s not just something you just say but something

That you do and uh they’ve definitely shown that uh prior to when you look at this last 10 11 games is something you want really lock in as you get ready transition to the summer I think just the mindset of you know the consistent mindset of uh you know just having

The the mindset to just come out and be myself every single night I’ve tried to do that but just continuing to um build on that uh every night coming with the approach that I’m going to make something happen in the game that I’m going to do something great uh and just

Continue that every time they that step on the floor seems like tomorrow could be could be your first game and RJ’s first game back I mean what is it you guys have been along for the ride with each other all year what does it mean to eventually whether it’s tomorrow or

Another night step back on the floor with him uh it’s great uh not only just RJ RJ is obviously my guy but uh the whole team um like I said this organization has been uh great since the first day I got here um and just to be

Able to to um you know share the core with those guys it’s been a blessing and uh look forward to that if we do return to play tomorrow night what are your hopes or expectations the same expectations that I have every single time that I step on

The floor is to give God glory through my gift of playing basketball and uh to never take any day or game for granted um and to give it everything I have and to to to be the best I can be this is obviously an important offseason coming

Up for you as it is for for a lot of these guys how important is it to go into the summer with some momentum with with reps over these next few weeks like for people that maybe don’t understand what will stake over the next few weeks

Is that like an important thing to be able to kind of get that momentum going into the offseason yeah I think momentum is important but I feel like throughout the time that I’ve been here like I say all the time I’ve I’ve taken each day with the approach said I’m going to get

Better each and every day so when you get to This Time of the Season you’re not really changing anything that you do but uh just continuing what you believe in and and and the work that you put in what’s the focus of uh practice today just sort of s between two

Games uh we watched very uh lengthy uh film session today uh just cleaning up things on on offense and defense um I praise guys for doing amazing job defensively as a part of April’s fools today uh uh 135 points was definitely not something that that we

Are aspiring to uh but uh all jokes aside uh uh we really focused on um talking about uh what we need to do better defensively majority of that uh being transition defense uh not allowing easy points uh just having responsibilities what we need to do there and then uh practice we just walk

Through a couple of things offensively and defensively just to to be better organized we have a lot of players playing outside of their roles you know we have uh Garrett Temple paint playing a Bea five and just getting him more comfortable knowing the plays and how to run and

What we need to run is is uh something that we focused on today how does a team already missing size deal with Anthony um uh obviously Anthony Davis is one of the best bigs in the league and uh somebody who’s creating a lot of problems to to teams around the league

You know uh always when we talk of this caliber of player it it can never be one player’s job to to to stop them you know and uh main uh main focus is going to be physicality doing our job early um not allowing easy catches and also trying to

Keep them uh keep him off the glass and uh you know slow down his role game as well you’re asking so much of Kelly now in sort of expanded role now you’re talking Garrett back up Center kind of a nightmare situation going in against a

Guy like that I mean it is what it is we got to accept the reality we got to understand the big picture and we got to take advantage of the of the moment that we have and uh if this moment now if you can create uh some additional Chemistry

Between Kelly and and Grady uh I think that’s going to be huge win for for us and also uh trying to improve our defense with Kell position five just like learning uh coverages and uh you know our support uh spots on the court is

Going to be huge for us Garrett is a guy of course who’s played point guard at points in his career what what is it about his skill set or his experience that kind of lends itself to being able to step into a position like this I mean

He’s a0 five right now and uh he’s uh he’s just very smart player and he knows the league uh we we really simplified our offensive Playbook as well so it’s it is easier for guys to know what they’re what they’re doing and where to be on the court being organized is uh is

Biggest part of what we need and can do right now and uh he’s really good with that recognizing those situations putting us those situations any chance of oai or RJ uh RJ probably uh as well as quickly and oai still out we’re going to be speaking it quickly in a few minutes

Here uh what does his possible return to your life up mean for the team um means a lot obviously uh for for me more than anything it’s about team growth and his growth uh to finish the season on a good note here uh he had very uh rough stretch over here for last

Two weeks uh he lost somebody very close to him and uh uh just getting him back on a court playing basketball uh getting his mentality right is is is a big uh Plus for him and for us uh he’s going he’s going according to plan he’s starting to a little bit more

But uh it’s going to take some time for him to get back thanks for watching the Toronto Raptor YouTube channel check out our latest videos and subscribe for more Trent answers back Gary side step great got it

Players and Head Coach address the media following Monday’s practice.

00:00 – Kelly Olynyk
03:07- Immanuel Quickley
07:39- Darko Rajakovic

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