Toronto Raptors coach showers praise on Brandon Ingram's behind-the-scenes leadership

Nobody that’s followed the Toronto Raptors this season could reasonably argue that the team is anywhere close to a finished product.

But brick by brick, the team seems to be trying to get the most out of the final five weeks of their 2024-25 regular season, even in close losses.

On Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena, Toronto fell 118-117 to the Washington Wizards in a game they initially appeared to have won, before it was ruled on video review that Jamal Shead’s potential game-winning buzzer-beater was still in his hands as the clock expired.

For fans rooting for the team to lose to get better draft lottery position, the game was perhaps the best of both worlds after a three-game winning streak.

For the front office, they appear to be looking at the bigger picture than a few percentage points at getting the top pick this spring.

Internally, the Raptors have been getting glimpses of their future from Brandon Ingram.

Suffering a severe ankle sprain on Dec. 7 while a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, the team’s major trade deadline acquisition has been slowly integrating into the franchise since arriving in Toronto last month.

While Ingram has yet to suit up for the team officially, he took to the court pregame Saturday to get in some warmup action as he nears towards a possible return.

“It’s one of those things., when you look at [Ingram] from afar and you see him as a player, you know how he operates, how he he plays, and you admire his game. And then you get a chance to get to know him, and at that point, it’s like, I get it. I understand why he’s so good,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said postgame.

An NBA All-Star in 2020, Ingram averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game with the Pelicans this season.

“I understand [how good he is] because of his determination and attention to detail and love from the game… it’s second-to-none, I’m really impressed with him. He’s a quiet guy, but he’s also so smart, soft-spoken, he fits in with our guys great in the locker room. I’m really, really impressed with him…” Rajakovic added.

The Raptors return to the court Monday night in Toronto for a rematch against the Wizards.

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