Toronto coach compares current Raptors player to Michael Jordan

Scottie Barnes received quite the compliment from Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković. 

The 47-year-old Serbian coach helped the Raptors advance to the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 2022 last year, and is looking to help Toronto take another step next season. Kawhi Leonard could be a huge part of that if that investigation wraps up sooner rather than later, but Rajaković appears to be expecting big things from Scottie Barnes. 

Earlier this month, the Raptors coach appeared on a show with Serbian sports reporter Aleksandar Stojanović. The two discussed a variety of things before diving into the relationship between Barnes and Rajaković. 

When discussing the 25-year-old All-Star, Rajaković compared him to Michael Jordan. 

"There is no success for a coach with no players," said Rajaković, translated from Serbian. "You look at all the greatest coaches, who are fantastic coaches, thinkers, philosophers, workers, everything else. None of them became that without players.

"Phil Jackson is not Phil Jackson without Michael Jordan. My Michael Jordan is Scottie Barnes." 

The comparison was likely less about Barnes being on the same level as Jordan, which would be quite a hot take at this point in his career. Moreso, it seemed like Rajaković was trying to convey just how important Barnes has been for this Raptors team since he became head coach in 2023. 

Similarly, it feels unlikely that Rajaković is comparing himself to the legendary Phil Jackson, who coached Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to six NBA Championships in the 1990s. 

"[Barnes] is a fantastic person, a young guy with a big heart, a great worker, and I have a lot of gratitude for him," Rajaković said. "He is one of the very, very few players in the entire NBA who is at that level of player. 

"All-Star player, franchise player who wants to press all over the court, who wants to put defence first and foremost. That's something that makes my job a lot easier." 

If the Raptors are to improve on last year's first-round playoff exit, they will need Barnes to continue being the kind of player that he has been over the past few seasons. 

When you throw Leonard into the mix, the Raptors could wind up being a darkhorse championship contender.