Toronto Raptors hold 'long meetings' with key players to plan team's future
For a lot of their workdays, those who work for the Toronto Raptors have a dream job from the outside looking in.
But some days, even NBA superstars are stuck in long meetings, just like anyone else with a job could relate to.
This week, the team went through their annual exit interviews with their players and staff after a 30-win campaign, following a year where the Raptors tempered expectations as year one of a rebuild.
On Wednesday, team president Masai Ujiri addressed the media for the first time this offseason and explained his thoughts on how things went between his conversations with his star players.
Much of the conversation had to do with 2021 fourth-overall pick Scottie Barnes, who is the team’s second-longest tenured player and the clear face of the franchise.
“He gave it his all, and [he has] many things he’s going to work on. We’ve had long talks throughout the year and at the end of the season, and I believe he continues to get better with everything,” Ujiri added. “Off the court, many of the things that he’s going to have to represent in this organization. And I thought he got an A+ with those things.”
Barnes averaged 19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 65 games this season, similar numbers to a season ago when he made his first NBA All-Star game. Critics of Barnes’ game typically point to a 27.1 per cent three-point percentage, a career-low for the 23-year-old forward.
“Basketball is basketball,” Ujiri added. “There are things he struggled at. There are things that he was great at — defensively, he’s really grown. We’ll continue to work on the shot, those things and leadership, to me, is something that really matters in sports and in this league. I think he’s taking the right steps. ”
While Barnes has been the face of the franchise for a few years now, the team is also waiting to see what they get out of former All-Star Brandon Ingram, who has yet to play for the team since a midseason trade from the New Orleans Pelicans. Currently sidelined with an ankle injury since December, Ujiri spoke about meshing Ingram’s play style with his new teammates.
“I met with Brandon Ingram yesterday, [we had] long meetings, and we’ve met throughout the season,” Ujiri also said. “I think this is something that is also on his mind to elevate his game and to adjust to what we are doing on this team. So I don’t think it’s going to be a problem [fitting in]. I think there’ll be an adjustment. But in terms of Brandon Ingram, I don’t think there’s going to be a problem with him fitting with us, because I think he has the right mindset first.”
Another player who hasn’t seen much action of late is Chris Boucher, who last played for the Raptors on February 26. The 32-year-old is a pending free agent this summer, but a report from Michael Grange suggests that the Raptors are still interested in bringing him back for another contract.
“Teams ask me every day about him,” Ujiri said. “He’s basically like family. So I think our communications will always be great. It will always be… we spent a lot of time with him yesterday… I know [Raptors GM] Bobby [Webster] and [Raptors head coach] Darko [Rajakovic] spent a lot of time with him over the year.”
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