Woj: Casey will be back

[Jangles]

^ If MU is thinking along these lines, then he is not the GM for this team. Man up and make the tough decisions.

[JimiCliff]

Typically, a treadmill team is a team that isn't good enough to win or bad enough to get a top pick. Based on their picks alone, they aren't falling under "all the makings of a treadmill team" though. Whether they get it together or not is another question I guess,

Yeah my point was that they're on their way to becoming one, based on the talent they've amassed.

[hotfuzz]

I'd rather be bucks than magic.

[Mediumcore]

MU could be keeping him because if he fires him now and the team starts out slow next season all eyes will be on him. But if Casey is still here MU can fire him to by himself more time.

But if MU truly thinks Casey is the man to take this team to the next level then we're screwed.

I don't think anyone including fans of Casey think he can take this team to the next level. He is here only until the roster is good enough to contend at which point a better x's & o's coach will be brought in to take us to the "next level". With the current roster there is no next level to get to.

[jdub55]

I think that Ujiri doesn't see the team as being close to contention, and is going to continue the approach of steady growth and development. We're not a contending team with this roster no matter what the coach is, so there's no point in firing Casey now. Of course, he hasn't actually said that he won't fire him. I'm sure he'll be looking at any moves this summer that will improve the team, but he seems to be less willing to sacrifice stability and flexibility for a big gamble than his predecessor.

[jdub55]

I don't think anyone including fans of Casey think he can take this team to the next level. He is here only until the roster is good enough to contend at which point a better x's & o's coach will be brought in to take us to the "next level". With the current roster there is no next level to get to.

Exactly!

[ebrian]

We paid Landry Fields and Marcus Camby the same amount this season, as we would be paying Casey next to go away.

Happens all the time in the NBA and for good reason.

The example you provided only strengthens my point. These were bad decisions made by previous managers of the team.

Paying two-for-one coach makes absolutely no sense. Even if you grabbed the world's collective basketball superminds together to coach this team, we're still not going anywhere. It only makes sense to pay two for one if:

(a) there are some ridiculous trades that involve the use of a working Delorean and the mind-erasing stick from Men In Black, or
(b) nevermind, I can't think of another scenario that makes sense here.

Sorry, I just don't see how this team will improve much from a coaching standpoint. Too many holes to fill. I'd gladly pay some hack (Casey) and a world class coach when we have a team that actually has the talent to make a dent in the playoffs.

[Scraptor]

Tbh. If casey staying gets erid of alot of the fairweather casual fans. Its not a terrible thing

On the contrary, it seems like most of the hardcore fans are the ones who want him gone. That's how bad a decision it is to bring him back: so bad that even the most loyal, long-suffering fans are saying "fuck this shit, I'm out, at least until Casey's gone".

Not that any of them will truly be out. The fact that we're still here after the Stankface lovefest, the Fat Rudy experiment, the inbounds disasters, the endgame catastrophes, etc etc shows that Raptors fans can never fully leave. It's like Hotel California up in here.

[Bandit]

The example you provided only strengthens my point. These were bad decisions made by previous managers of the team.

Paying two-for-one coach makes absolutely no sense. Even if you grabbed the world's collective basketball superminds together to coach this team, we're still not going anywhere. It only makes sense to pay two for one if:

(a) there are some ridiculous trades that involve the use of a working Delorean and the mind-erasing stick from Men In Black, or
(b) nevermind, I can't think of another scenario that makes sense here.

Sorry, I just don't see how this team will improve much from a coaching standpoint. Too many holes to fill. I'd gladly pay some hack (Casey) and a world class coach when we have a team that actually has the talent to make a dent in the playoffs.

There is the belief that a coach could be teaching bad habits, instilling the wrong values and actually preventing growth from your youth. If Masai believes any of those things were true then it would be worth paying 2-for-1

[Apollo]

#tanknation

Surely Masai can't bring Casey back with this roster - surely...?

Oh, they won't be tanking with Casey. Forget about that idea.

Sent from my Note 3 using Tapatalk

[RPT23]

Whether Casey is back or not, I know one thing for sure... I will not be expecting the Raptors to repeat as Atlantic Division "champs" nor be in the top 4 or even the top 6 in the Eastern Conference next year. At least that will keep my blood pressure down. My expectations is that Masai will do what is necessary to put together a good team now that he knows what he's working with (playoff determines the amount of work he's going to do this summer). The ball is in Masai's court... get your blackberry passport on deck and plugged in!!!!

[Bendit]

There is the belief that a coach could be teaching bad habits, instilling the wrong values and actually preventing growth from your youth. If Masai believes any of those things were true then it would be worth paying 2-for-1

There is a reason that Brad Stevens was chosen for the Celtics, a decidedly raw team going nowhere on paper, and given a 6 yr. contract....to teach the right way and grow with the team. I wouldnt be surprised if he and by extension Boston is now viewed favourably by free agents.

[OldSkoolCool]

If Casey was coming back, Masai would have said so already.

He's waiting to see about Thibs.

Why is RR so high on Thibs?

He is a one-dimensional coach. Yes he has consistently been able to produce a top-flight defense, but his offense is BAD. Like Casey-bad but with better players and better rotations. In the playoffs the Bulls offense pretty much relies on Rose and Butler ISO's while under-utilizing Noah's and Gasol's passing skills as big men in the posts...

I say we hunt for a balanced head coach who values both sides of the ball, who is young, who has no prior NBA head coaching experience, is willing to try new things, value preparation of his players, clearly communicates what he wants from his players, and has a serious commitment to the development of young players.

When you find a coach like that who is willing to work with the Front Office, you start to shape the identity of the team, you know as a player you are going to be working for MU and playing Coach X's style. No exceptions, you know what to expect, and you know what to do to fit with the organization.

Thibs is good for part of that, but his offensive side is so limited that outside of having a top 3 talent in the East that is dedicated to passing and making his teammates better...will never go anywhere.

[Mr.Z]

Tbh. If casey staying gets erid of alot of the fairweather casual fans. Its not a terrible thing

Its going to get rid of more diehards than casual fans I imagine

[Mr.Z]

What counts as Casey failing though? Did getting swept by the Wizards vs. maybe making it to the second round with a better coach have all that much impact?

Masai is still playing the long game, and he gets to ride out the string on that until it becomes clear that whatever he's trying is not working. I don't agree with keeping Casey, but maybe in his mind he wants to assemble a roster that a coach can work with first, and then try to attract a very good coach by showing it the potential of that roster. I don't think these are the players to do that right now.

That's a good way to look at it. If he stays I'm holding onto that.