Date: November 3, 2025
Source: Hello and Welcome (YouTube)
Following Monday’s practice, Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković spoke about Immanuel Quickley’s offensive struggles, the adjustment process for second-year players, and how the team’s small-ball looks are developing as Jakob Poeltl works his way back from injury.
For more Raptors coverage, visit the Toronto Raptors page on Toronto Sports Pulse.
On Immanuel Quickley’s Recent Play
“I mean, first of all there is no magic wand. He’s not playing his best basketball right now. And that’s fine. That’s fine. Like that’s why he has his teammates to help him. Not everybody can carry an 82-game long season and be perfect — all he needs to do is take one day at a time and one percent. What I can tell you is that he’s putting a lot of work in, a lot of effort in. He cares so much and that’s why it’s frustrating for him because he’s going through this roughly, but it’s completely fine. I have complete trust in him and his work.”
“All he needs to do is focus on what the team needs at any point of time in the game. I thought that yesterday he did a better job of running the team and getting us organized and set up — and just take it from there.”
On Quickley’s Usage Being Down
“For sure. Part of that is the teammates that he’s on the floor with. Part of that is really the style of play because we do want our point guards to kick ahead in transition much more. So that’s going to be playmaking somebody else, not them bringing the ball up the floor. And part of that is by design as well — to get him off the ball so he can attack closeouts. His shots did not fall, and that’s why everything is so much magnified. Quick is going to be fine. I don’t have any worry about that.”
On Helping Second-Year Players with Reduced Minutes
“Showing them love. Showing them understanding that it’s not easy. We do understand that when you play 25 minutes and now you’re a guy going to drop down to 12 or 15 or 18, it’s going to be different. But also it’s learning for them. The reality of the NBA is that guys that are starters, they play 30, 32, 34 minutes. Guys coming off the bench, it’s hard for them to crack 30 minutes. So they got to learn how to be productive, how to contribute to the team, how to play through that, and what they need to do to help winning. While you’re doing all of that, your chances to increase minutes and that production and role are going to rise. So all of that is part of the learning process for everybody.”
On the Bench Bringing Energy
“Gradey did an outstanding job yesterday. He was playing defense, he was active with his hands, he was disruptive, he was offensive rebounding, he was running in transition, being in the right spot. He was flying off of pin downs. It’s not just necessarily how many shots do you take or are you scoring or not — it’s how you’re helping the team at a certain moment. And every night is going to be different for starters and for guys coming off the bench. Can you pick up and play defense with aggressiveness and intensity and the desire to help the team? Absolutely. So all of those small things, that’s what they need to focus on.”
On Finding Balance Defensively
“I think what we’re really working on improving is reading when we can go and crash and have offensive rebounds. I think we did a really good job and had 25 second-chance points last night in the game, but at the same time not risking too much in transition and having all the players back. That’s what I’m saying about this group — all the stuff that we try to address, we’re making strides and we’re improving. How do you improve? You play against really good teams and then you get exposed.”
“One thing is like I’m sitting in the middle of July and in my head I’m imagining a beautiful basketball and perfect basketball — and the other thing is when you face Wembenyama or Anthony Davis, and then you start realizing what we can do, what we cannot do, how we improve. That’s why the season is 82 games. It’s not five games and then to have a championship.”
On Small-Ball Lineups and Frontcourt Versatility
“It’s not easy on Collin. It’s not easy on Scottie. Both of those guys, they played some four, some five for us playing against much bigger guys. But what stands out is their intensity, their attention to detail. We made it really hard last night on Jaren Jackson, who is an exceptional player. But all of that demands teamwork. Scottie by himself or CMB by himself — it’s very hard to guard the best players in the league. That’s why you have your positioning, your help, your safety, and all of that. I think it’s an amazing opportunity for Collin to see more minutes, to play position four and position five. That’s his future. He’s got to be a versatile player like that — covering both positions.”
On Small-Ball Helping Offensively
“That was the part of my July and August imagining and reimagining how it needs to look like. Definitely Scottie last night and CMB both did a really good job getting out of pick and rolls quickly, catching the ball in the short roll, and playmaking from there. That’s going to help our offense.”
On Jakob Poeltl’s Status
“Yeah, he went through the whole practice today. He’s feeling better. He’s questionable for tomorrow. We’ll see where he’s at tonight.”
Pulse Takeaway
Rajaković emphasized patience with Immanuel Quickley’s slump and confidence in his work ethic. He praised the energy of the second unit — particularly Gradey Dick — and detailed how Toronto’s small-ball looks are accelerating development for Collin Murray-Boyles. The Raptors continue to refine their defensive balance while Jakob Poeltl nears a return.
Quotes from Darko Rajaković via Hello and Welcome (YouTube). Used for analysis and commentary.
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
About the Author
