#FireCasey

[LJ2]

I would be curious to see how the ratings faired against good teams only. Take out the games vs Philly and the Knicks (which we have a disproportionate amount of compared to the rest of the league).

My take is, the ugly offence works until the games get tough (good defences, road trips, playoffs).

Is the talent level on the Raptors that much better thatn a team like Phoenix though? We are clearly not bottom feeders, but I don't see the stud talent that puts us in a category with good teams. With regards to the washington series I would say THAT is a team whose coach has failed to get the best out of his roster. Wall, Beal, Nene, Gortat, Pierce, some good bench players.

Somehow, the success Raptors have enjoyed seems to have translated to us having the talent to put ourselves in the same category as Chicago, Clevland and the rest. I just don't see the same talent on this roster.

[mcHAPPY]

I just don't get it. You guys hate the way this team plays. Its obvious Masai isn't going to fire Casey during the season. Why do you guys keep watching? Why do you just not follow a team you like watching? If your right will have a new coach next year. Why don't you guys just take a break till June. I really don't understand some of you guys.

I get the best of both worlds with LeaguePass.

I get to watch my favourite team and then I get to watch good basketball when they aren't playing.

[mcHAPPY]

So your argument then that the offense was ineffective in a 4 game playoff series. Got it. I concede it was awful in the 4-game playoff series. Are you willing to concede that it was an effective offense in the regular season the last two seasons or not? Cause if you can't do that I don't know what to tell ya'....

But that is the bone of contention.

You're being a condescending prick to everyone who wants Casey gone - including those who have held the view for multiple seasons - off the basis of his regular season record when many - including myself - correctly forecast the end result of last season in November.


Fine - sure - it is an effective regular season offense.


But I've not been talking about the regular season last year or this year.

[mcHAPPY]

I would be curious to see how the ratings faired against good teams only. Take out the games vs Philly and the Knicks (which we have a disproportionate amount of compared to the rest of the league).

My take is, the ugly offence works until the games get tough (good defences, road trips, playoffs).

Exactly.

[Chr1s1anL]

I would be curious to see how the ratings faired against good teams only. Take out the games vs Philly and the Knicks (which we have a disproportionate amount of compared to the rest of the league).

My take is, the ugly offence works until the games get tough (good defences, road trips, playoffs).

11 of our first 15 have been on the road. I think we've played the most road games in the league. We've played some pretty tough teams in that stretch as well.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

The combination of the two yes. The team goes as Lowry goes. Give me a team whose one series when their best player was hurt?

I don't mean to pick on you, but your message was the best one to summarize multiple issues with the team going into last year's playoffs.

I don't understand why the fact that Lowry was hurt would somehow allow Casey to avoid criticism? If your star player is not playing up to his standards - as everybody watching the 2nd half of the season could see - why does the coach continue to lean on him as though he's 100% healthy? To me, the Lowry excuse is just another proof point about Casey's inability to adapt, or to anticipate future outcomes, which are key components to being a good coach.

Many of the anti-Casey camp joke about Casey pounding the rock, but it's not just a joke about his apparent stubbornness. It's more the fact that we've gotten to the point where his shortcomings in terms of strategizing and adjusting have gotten to the point that we're left just shaking our heads.

I understand that Casey deserves some credit for the success that the team has enjoyed during the regular season the past few years. However, I take the opposing view, where I would pose the question as to whether a better coach would have been able to get even more out of this team during the regular season as well. I know that the players buy into Casey's approach, especially the heavily-used players, which is critical. I just happen to believe that the talent has produced the wins it has, just by being better than many teams (especially in the EC which has been terrible the past two seasons - better this season to be fair), rather than as a direct result of the coaching.

The playoffs speak for themselves, where Casey has been severely out-coached.

[mcHAPPY]

I don't mean to pick on you, but your message was the best one to summarize multiple issues with the team going into last year's playoffs.

I don't understand why the fact that Lowry was hurt would somehow allow Casey to avoid criticism? If your star player is not playing up to his standards - as everybody watching the 2nd half of the season could see - why does the coach continue to lean on him as though he's 100% healthy? To me, the Lowry excuse is just another proof point about Casey's inability to adapt, or to anticipate future outcomes, which are key components to being a good coach.

Many of the anti-Casey camp joke about Casey pounding the rock, but it's not just a joke about his apparent stubbornness. It's more the fact that we've gotten to the point where his shortcomings in terms of strategizing and adjusting have gotten to the point that we're left just shaking our heads.

I understand that Casey deserves some credit for the success that the team has enjoyed during the regular season the past few years. However, I take the opposing view, where I would pose the question as to whether a better coach would have been able to get even more out of this team during the regular season as well. I know that the players buy into Casey's approach, especially the heavily-used players, which is critical. I just happen to believe that the talent has produced the wins it has, just by being better than many teams (especially in the EC which has been terrible the past two seasons - better this season to be fair), rather than as a direct result of the coaching.

The playoffs speak for themselves, where Casey has been severely out-coached.

He was matched up with difficult opponents though.

I mean a rookie coach one year removed from playing? That is tough.

And then Randy Whittman? Tough draw.


Then you have home court advantage for both series, which really is a disadvantage due to heightened expectations and all those people cheering for you.

[hotfuzz]

Funny some of guys wont post a thing during the 4 game winning streak but, as soon as they lose you guys pop your heads in with the "I total you so". Its like your upset we the team is succeeding. Actually its more sad than funny.

Because then people like you will scream "why can't you be happy we won?? You guys are not fans!!!"

[mcHAPPY]

Because then people like you will scream "why can't you be happy we won?? You guys are not fans!!!"

Exactly.

I can't take the constant trolling of late....baseless statements being thrown out, especially regarding JV.

Very little in way of facts/stats/evidence being provided by many posters, in particular to the poster to which this was replied to.

The quality of the discussion of late has deteriorated because most, outside usually slaw, offer very little other than an opinion which is regarded as fact.

[Nilanka]

He was matched up with difficult opponents though.

I mean a rookie coach one year removed from playing? That is tough.

And then Randy Whittman? Tough draw.


Then you have home court advantage for both series, which really is a disadvantage due to heightened expectations and all those people cheering for you.

And don't forget the refs. The Refs hate Canada.

And Reggie Evans stole Bargnani's rebounds.

[S.R.]

Exactly.

I can't take the constant trolling of late....baseless statements being thrown out, especially regarding JV.

Very little in way of facts/stats/evidence being provided by many posters, in particular to the poster to which this was replied to.

The quality of the discussion of late has deteriorated because most, outside usually slaw, offer very little other than an opinion which is regarded as fact.

This right here.

[octothorp]

So to me, the problem last year was that they were too reliant on long range and 3-point shooting, which can average out to high efficiency over the course of the season, but which fluctuates more in short sample sizes, such as a seven game series. Paint scoring might be lower efficiency than 3s over the course of a season, but is going to fluctuate less. The success of Golden State only proves that these things can be overcome by absolutely elite 3-point shooting, which is of no surprise, and of no use to non-elite shooting teams like the Raptors.

So I am cautiously optimistic about the fact that this year (particularly before the JV injury, I haven't checked since), the shot chart is far better: still lots of corner 3s, but fewer above-the-break 3s, drastically fewer long 2s, and many more shots in the paint. To me, that's an offense that is going to be less subject to fluctuations over the course of a playoff series.

Again, I place part of the blame on this for the Raptors brass as a whole, because it seemed like it was a vision shared by more than just Casey, and the changes to the team (both personnel-wise and scheme-wise) just there's an understanding of this.

[S.R.]

I just don't get it. You guys hate the way this team plays. Its obvious Masai isn't going to fire Casey during the season. Why do you guys keep watching? Why do you just not follow a team you like watching? If your right will have a new coach next year. Why don't you guys just take a break till June. I really don't understand some of you guys.

Fans have different approaches to the game. Some well balanced people just enjoy the ride regardless. Some of us are unbalanced and our wives don't understand our Raptors rants and our buddies are busy watching hockey, so we have to come here and vent.

I'm glad Demarre is here. I'm glad the D is better. I think the offense has shown flashes of evolving from last year but it's also shown a lot of reverting to form.

I agree Casey and this roster will likely be here all season - Masai seems to make gradual changes over the long-term, mostly as contracts expire. That's part of the frustration - these players and this coach need to take another step to avoid being a first-round-out team for the third straight season. A few bright spots here and there aren't going to cut it in the playoffs.

[psrs1]

I don't mean to pick on you, but your message was the best one to summarize multiple issues with the team going into last year's playoffs.

I don't understand why the fact that Lowry was hurt would somehow allow Casey to avoid criticism? If your star player is not playing up to his standards - as everybody watching the 2nd half of the season could see - why does the coach continue to lean on him as though he's 100% healthy? To me, the Lowry excuse is just another proof point about Casey's inability to adapt, or to anticipate future outcomes, which are key components to being a good coach.

Many of the anti-Casey camp joke about Casey pounding the rock, but it's not just a joke about his apparent stubbornness. It's more the fact that we've gotten to the point where his shortcomings in terms of strategizing and adjusting have gotten to the point that we're left just shaking our heads.

I understand that Casey deserves some credit for the success that the team has enjoyed during the regular season the past few years. However, I take the opposing view, where I would pose the question as to whether a better coach would have been able to get even more out of this team during the regular season as well. I know that the players buy into Casey's approach, especially the heavily-used players, which is critical. I just happen to believe that the talent has produced the wins it has, just by being better than many teams (especially in the EC which has been terrible the past two seasons - better this season to be fair), rather than as a direct result of the coaching.

The playoffs speak for themselves, where Casey has been severely out-coached.

Good post. I suspect things are headed in the same direction as the last two seasons. Casey hasnt changed or adapted. He is still as stubborn as ever.

[raptors999]

Good post. I suspect things are headed in the same direction as the last two seasons. Casey hasnt changed or adapted. He is still as stubborn as ever.

Casey needs to be fired now because he's using a playoff rotation to beat teams like the Wizards and Suns. Won't happen but he is maximizing regular season wins over actual development or progress. Oddly, in the playoffs he uses line changes.