Coach Darko Rajakovic is free to choose his own training schedule because he isn’t constrained by the past and may follow his own route.

Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic will have an opportunity to put his own stamp on the team this summer. Richard Lautens / Toronto Star There was once a rhythm to a Raptors summer. Draft, Summer League in Las Vegas, breathless dispatches from runs in UCLA and pronouncements that everyone looks great, lost weight, is in top shape and their shooting has never looked better. There might be a few changes afoot this year.

Darko Rajakovic has a few ideas, unencumbered by the past and with long-serving veterans who often choose where the squad might gather in large numbers. “We’ll have different plans,” the Raptors head coach was mentioning this week. That means more time in Toronto, more escapes so the group can be by itself every now and then — but a summer dedicated to work.

We’re going to work hard in Toronto and we’re going to bring our players back here for sure, he added, but I can understand the benefit of the boys being somewhere else where they can truly bond even more and get to know each other a little better. Enjoy yourself, but don’t forget to work hard. Rajakovic seemed to possess one thing: control. Pros like Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, and even Fred VanVleet had their summer schedules and go-to locations. It worked perfectly for the Raptors organization.