Has your opinion of Masai Ujiri changed lately ?

[SkywalkerAC]

All that great work and then T-Ross signing makes me think he had a brain cramp ..

Yeah, it's a bit of an odd duck, but, if Ross can get back on his development track, a swan it might still end up.

[Chr1s1anL]

So MLSE was willing to fire Sam Mitchell and Jay Triano after regular season slow starts but, wont fire a guy after being embarrassed on the National stage? Make that international stage.

Did Sam Mitchell and Triano have any years left on their contract when they were fired? Serious question

I don't know why its so hard to believe that Casey might actually be Masai's guy.

[Jangles]

If Casey is Masai's guy, we're in trouble.

[DanH]

So MLSE was willing to fire Sam Mitchell and Jay Triano after regular season slow starts but, wont fire a guy after being embarrassed on the National stage? Make that international stage.

Did Sam Mitchell and Triano have any years left on their contract when they were fired? Serious question

I don't know why its so hard to believe that Casey might actually be Masai's guy.

Mitchell was partway through the last year of his deal, like Casey is now. Triano had a year left, but Colangelo had just been extended with an apparent goal to win right away, so he had pressure on him from above to change coaches.

[mcHAPPY]

Mitchell was partway through the last year of his deal, like Casey is now. Triano had a year left, but Colangelo had just been extended with an apparent goal to win right away, so he had pressure on him from above to change coaches.

Mitchell was extended and fired 6 weeks into 2nd season.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/...chell-1.679928

[Scraptor]

I don't know why its so hard to believe that Casey might actually be Masai's guy.

If Casey is Masai's guy, we're in trouble.

This is probably the biggest source of cognitive dissonance when it comes to the front office: Masai is still pretty widely loved, while Casey is generally despised.

And in order to reconcile these two things, people end up saying that Masai had no choice but to keep Casey, or that Casey isn't really Masai's guy.

The simpler answer, when taken together with what Masai has said about continuity and chemistry over the years, is that Casey really is Masai's guy--maybe not his number one favorite, but appealing enough to retain him three offseasons in a row.

Does this call into question Masai's basketball acumen, does this mean we're in trouble? I certainly don't think it means Masai is an idiot who can't see what we all see when it comes to Casey. I do think it means that perhaps his organizational philosophy of continuity/chemistry might be flawed and overly optimistic as to how far it can take us in today's NBA.

[Chr1s1anL]

Mitchell was partway through the last year of his deal, like Casey is now. Triano had a year left, but Colangelo had just been extended with an apparent goal to win right away, so he had pressure on him from above to change coaches.

That's my point. That MLSE would eat the bullet if Masai really hated how the team was being ran.

[SkywalkerAC]

Or...Masai sees Casey as a transitionary coach and is biding his time setting the foundation for something greater.

[DanH]

Mitchell was extended and fired 6 weeks into 2nd season.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/...chell-1.679928

Huh. Completely blanked on that. Weird. Must be getting old.

[planetmars]

MLSE is not the same MLSE when Triano or Mitchell were coaches. $3.75M might mean more to Rogers/Bell then whatever Mitchell or Triano were making under the OTPP.

But on the other hand Casey is making $3.75M a year which is above average for coaches in the league. Masai spent that money on his extension. And that's on him.

[DanH]

Mitchell made 3M per year, not sure about Triano.

[DanH]

In any case I don't think money is why Casey was retained. I think Masai's target wasn't available and Casey was a better option than two coaching changes in two years.

[raptors999]

Should just let Nurse run things until a HC is found. It could be Nurse, either way he's likely gone if Casey is.

[golden]

Mitchell was extended and fired 6 weeks into 2nd season.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/...chell-1.679928

That was BC, though, who spent other people's money like a drunken sailor. I vaguely recall there was some bean-counter at MLSE who really had it in for BC.

[SkywalkerAC]

In any case I don't think money is why Casey was retained. I think Masai's target wasn't available and Casey was a better option than two coaching changes in two years.

Plus there's the timing of the upgrade. Masai hasn't been ready to go all-in for the 'big push'. He's been in asset-accumulation mode, and there's little rush with him. A bit like Bezos's rocket company - "one step at a time, ferociously".

Shit's going to hit the fan either in this season or the offseason - trades, signings, DeMar - with Masai obviously hoping to take another step forward. If he plays his cards right, we should look like a great situation, and he should have his pick of the litter.