"A reset for everybody": Malachi Flynn talks Raptors coaching change
Through two games of the Toronto Raptors’ first preseason under new head coach Darko Rajaković, it’s tough to gauge exactly how the team will fare in the 2023-24 campaign.
Toronto’s gone 2-0 in their first two contests, though Sunday’s 134-93 win over the Australia-based Cairns Taipans (who were dealing with their own injury and illness problems) isn’t exactly the level of competition they’ll be facing over the course of the year.
For Rajaković, the main goals of the job this preseason seem to be developing a strong rapport with his players, while also installing his “0.5 offence” intending to speed up the team’s efficiency in the halfcourt, an area they struggled with last season, with an effective field goal percentage of 51.7 ranking 28th in the league.
One player who seems to be embracing the change is fourth-year point guard (and 2020 first-round pick) Malachi Flynn, who often struggled for a consistent role under the now-departed Nick Nurse.
“Just a reset for everybody,” Flynn told reporters on Monday at team practice about Rajaković’s hire. “He’s very detail-oriented, he’s very organized… just kind of someone I can get on the same page with.”
Flynn has averaged 5.5 points, 1.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 144 games for the Raptors in his career, though he’s averaged just 15 minutes a night over the course of the last three seasons when in the lineup.
Toronto guard Gary Trent Jr. said on media day earlier this month that his level of communication with Rajaković is more than he’s had with any coach. While Flynn wouldn’t quite affirm that statement, he added that his new boss has been rather direct with his players about their roles on the team.
“In the past, yes. At this level, I’ve only had two coaches. They’re different. Not gonna say that one guy’s better than the other, but they’re different. I think guys like when [Rajaković] lets them know what it’s gonna be, you can kind of mentally prepare for that,” Flynn added.
At age 25 and heading into his fourth season, Flynn is at the point where most NBA teams often cut bait with players who haven’t quite established themselves as regular rotation players. The team parted ways with 2021 second-round draft picks Dalano Banton and David Johnson over the offseason,
On the flip side, there’s a precedent for some players — like former Raptor Kyle Lowry — to hit their stride in their mid-20s when put in a new situation. Traded to Toronto at age 26 from Houston back in 2012, Lowry eventually became a six-time All-Star and NBA champion while with the Raptors.
“It took him a couple years to kind of get his feet together,” Flynn said of Lowry. “Definitely feeling confident about the year, I know it’s a big year. Not putting pressure on myself but just looking forward [to] it.”
It remains to be seen how exactly Flynn fits into Rajaković’s plans this season, though, at the very least, it offers him an opportunity that often seemed limited under Nurse.
This week, the Raptors travel to Chicago where they’ll take on the Bulls for a preseason matchup on Tuesday evening, before closing out their exhibition schedule with a home game against the Washington Wizards this Friday at Scotiabank Arena.
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