12:45 pm EST: Okay! That’s all! Next up, training camp. I’m off to the train to Montreal to cover the team there. Hope you enjoyed media day, and the season is coming up soon! Less than a week until the first preseason game.
12:30 pm EST: And Gradey Dick is on stage. This is the last player we’ll get today, so this thread is likely about to end. Dick is talking about being more comfortable this year, less nervous coming into the year. He’s happy to not be a rookie anymore. He’s asked about the open starting spot, but he doesn’t put much of a claim to it, just steers clear of the question.
12:10 pm EST: We’re in the PM! Kelly Olynyk is here talking about Darko Rajakovic. Says he’s really a really good communicator, and he likes his approach to the game to pass guys open. Maybe my favourite comment of his is that RJ Barrett is just going to keep getting better and better.
11:56 am EST: Jakob Poeltl is here. Samson and I have really honed in on the defense as our target for questions, and we’re getting the juice now. Poeltl talked about what his role will look like in a pressure-heavy scheme. When asked about the rebuild he admits that winning as many games as possible is not the main focus. Instead, it’s on getting better as a team. “This has to be a long-term project.” He says that for a team to be desirable to play on, it doesn’t have to be a championship team every year. He says this is a project that makes sense to him. Even though it’s a rebuild, he says this situation is a positive, and it makes sense for him to be here. Calls being in Toronto a win-win.
11:35 am EST: RJ Barrett now. He calls the Raptors his team, his home. He’s all in. Not a lot of detail or specifics on much of anything, but it’s clear how much heart he has and how much he cares that he’s a Raptor. Pride.
11:10 am EST: Masai Ujiri is back on stage addressing media after the news of Dikembe Mutombo’s passing away. He is very emotional. “That guy, he made us who we are. That guy is a giant. Who are we without Dikembe Mutombo?”
10:50 am EST: Immanuel Quickley is on stage. One of the first things he says is that he doesn’t read a lot of fiction, so obviously I’m sad about that. He seems very happy to be here, happy to be in Toronto. “Excited to hoop.” He wants to get better everywhere, on both ends, and be more than just a scorer.
10:35 am EST: Scottie Barnes is here, saying what we worked on the most was communication. Just building chemistry, going from there. On the court, he worked on his shot creation, getting to the basket, getting to his spots more efficiently. Then talking about the defense, he doesn’t offer as much nuance as Darko, but that’s to be expected.
10:10 am EST: “We are trying to build a team that is going to build for a championship, and we are building a path to that,” says Darko Rajakovic. First time the word championship has been used, I believe. He, too, acknowledges the team is in a rebuild. I got to ask Darko about the team defense, and I’m not going to spill the whole answer here because I’m writing on this, but he says the team is going to shift its focus to the ball. I like that!
9:39 am EST: Ujiri is now on the stage. He is intentionally using the word “rebuilding” to describe this season. “Young team. Growing team.” Very honest stuff so far. The next question is about the ownership change. Ujiri says he knew the question was coming and laughed. Says: “business continues as usual… [Ed Rogers and I] have a great relationship.” He continues in more depth, but generally shuts down rumours about the relationship. Negotiations are tough, but that doesn’t impact relationships. The mic is loud (literally and figuratively). Later, he says Scottie’s seriousness, level of intensity in workout, and mindset has grown greatly. He’s a leader.
9:30 am EST: Good morning! We’re here. Masai Ujiri is set to speak any minute. I’ll be hanging around all morning, updating you with what happens. Enjoy. Okay, bye bye, I’ll be back in mere moments.
