Built Ford Tough Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) Couldn't get to sleep so I started poking around to possibly find some draft related stuff, but instead I found some more news on the Raptors coaching vacancy. I know that I have a thread dedicated to the coaching search, but I figure this was big enough news to warrant having its own thread. @STEIN_LINE_HQ Marc Stein Just filed to ESPN.com: Mavs assistant coach Dwane Casey has emerged as clear favorite for Raptors' job and on course to be hired next week http://twitter.com/#!/STEIN_LINE_HQ/status/81540661391785984 @STEIN_LINE_HQ Marc Stein Raps had narrowed search to Casey and Celts assistant Lawrence Frank but have zeroed in on Casey after interviewing both men this week http://twitter.com/#!/STEIN_LINE_HQ/status/81540966485475328 @STEIN_LINE_HQ Marc Stein Raps in desperate need of defensive culture. Casey just helped DAL install one after years of ridicule. Raps 30th in '10-11 in D efficiency http://twitter.com/#!/STEIN_LINE_HQ/status/81542449662660608 I knew it was pretty much between Frank and Casey, but it definitely seems like Casey is who the Raptors are after considering Stein's comments that are posted above and the fact that Doug Smith and some other Raptors reporters are also mentioning that Casey is the front runner after both him and Frank had interviews this past week. If I had to pick between the two I think I would still go with Frank, but I have also liked him as a coach for a while now and never really paid much attention to Casey when he was the head coach in Minnesota or even during his time with the Mavs up until this season. I definitely wouldn't be upset if he ends up getting the job as at least we know that the days of players giving half assed efforts on the defensive end would be over (yes, I'm looking in Andrea Bargnani's direction) as Casey definitely doesn't seem like he is the type of coach who will pamper his players like the Raptors have had in the past. I do worry about what he will be like on the offensive end of the court, though. I definitely agree that the Raptors need to find a hard nosed defensive coach, but they still can't neglect the offensive end of the floor and from the limited amount of Casey that I know, I worry that he might be another Sam Mitchell on the offensive end, only worse because Mitchell had guys like Ford and Bosh to bail his terrible offensive schemes out. This current Raptors team has nobody who can create their own shot on a consistent basis so a lot of the teams offensive will come in the flow of the offense. Either way though, it is a nice change. Whether it is Frank or Casey that ends up getting the job, I am much more comfortable with either one of them as the Raptors next coach over bringing back Triano for another year despite the fact that I didn't hate Triano nearly as much as the large majority of Raptor fans. Edited June 20, 2011 by Built Ford Tough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted June 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 Sounds like he will be announced as the new coach either today or tomorrow. Most likely tomorrow since the Raptors brass is in New York right now for some draft workouts. I saw it on the ticker on Sportsnet today, and there was this in the Dallas Morning News: Just got a call from a Toronto source saying that Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey is expected to be announced as head coach of the Raptors. It could be announced Tuesday. Casey is the top Mavericks assistant coach and defensive architect. The Raptors recently fired Jay Triano. Casey met with the Raptors for a second time this past week after Dallas won the championship and he and Boston assistant Lawrence Frank have been the finalists since the Raptors pared down their list of candidates. Casey said before Thursday's parade that he didn't want to comment on the situation. "Let's just see where it goes,'' he said. Casey has been Carlisle's assistant and defensive coordinator for three years and the Mavericks' success defensively in the playoffs and the entire season has made him a hot commodity. Every team that has had a coaching opening has contacted him this season and he was a finalist in Houston before Kevin McHale got that job. Defensive-minded coaches are the rage these days in the NBA and Carlisle has said numerous times that he's amazed Casey hasn't already moved on to a head-coaching position, which would be his second stint in the big chair after leading Minnesota in 2006-07. http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-mavericks/headlines/20110620-mavericks-lose-their-top-assistant-toronto-raptors-to-hire-dwane-casey.ece?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Intense defensive coach, great hire. It makes me wonder if the Raptors will target a top tier defensive player (Vesely? Leonard?) in the draft for Casey to mold. Edited June 21, 2011 by Dash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboveLegit Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 Intense defensive coach, great hire. It makes me wonder if the Raptors will target a top tier defensive player (Vesely? Leonard?) in the draft for Casey to mold.Yeah I was thinking that as well. Maybe they go for Bismack or Kawhi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 I'm happy about the hire. Him or Frank would have been fine for me. A defensive minded coach, something the raptors need. Its a start to moving this team upward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted June 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 Intense defensive coach, great hire. It makes me wonder if the Raptors will target a top tier defensive player (Vesely? Leonard?) in the draft for Casey to mold. I'll shoot myself if the Raptors draft Vesely. Seriously. I don't want any part of Bismack Biyombo (at least at 5) but I'd take him in a heartbeat over Vesely. Vesely literally does nothing well other than run and jump. He can't shoot, can't handle the ball, bad defender and is just a bust waiting to happen. I don't get the hype around this guy at all. He is less skilled than basically every other projected lottery pick and is also older than most picks by around 2-3 years as well. I would imagine, or at least hope, they would draft any player that they have been speculated as to taking (so pretty much every player from the 3-10 range) over Vesely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 For anybody who is interested, Casey's contract will pay him $6,000,000 over 2 years and there is a team option for a 3rd year. Basically the same contract that Colangelo received prior to the Draft Lottery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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