Everything Dwane Casey

[Axel]

Even given game 1's turd-drop, I always play for overtime on my home floor.

I think you can still play it conservatively and get a better shot than that. That was pretty much the maximum conservative approach while still taking a shot.

I agree that PnR would be risky due to the possibility of turn over on the trap. I would have treated it like a BLOB and run a cluster of players off-ball with staggering screens to create a couple of catch and shoot options. With the way KL and DD are shooting, anyone taking an open shot is as good as anything they can force.

Overall, not a damning decision by Casey, just one that was too conservative for my preference.

[KHD]

casey is the louis van gaal of basketball.

just play as conservative as possible and try not to lose, then hope arjen robben has a miraculous moment. That's how you end up in a penalty shootout against costa rica (LOL).

Casey does the same thing with lowry and demar. but they aren't capable of the basketball equivalent of what robben can do on the football pitch.

[golden]

Whatever he decided at that stage of the game it was risky. They won so his answer was correct. It's that simple.

The end-of-game play is the last thing we should be worried about. Casey's entire system and offensive philosophy is being exposed and questioned by the basketball world. The habits and fundamentals that have been instilled into "our program" are being put to the test, and it's creating some historically bad performances by our "all-stars".

Analyst after analyst are scratching their heads at the lack of creativity and zero ball movement. These people aren't Raptors fans or Toronto sports media with any particular axe to grind. They are impartial observers trying to make sense of what they are seeing close-up for the first time.

[JimiCliff]

It was maximally conservative. Any other situation and it would have severely pissed me off, but in this case, where a turnover could cost you your season, I get it.

[Nilanka]

It was maximally conservative. Any other situation and it would have severely pissed me off, but in this case, where a turnover could cost you your season, I get it.

That just seems like a startling lack of trust in your schemes, doesn't it? Can't trust your guys to run a simple PNR with 10 seconds remaining?

I mean, the only play more conservative than that, would've been to cross halfcourt and let the clock expire with Lowry hugging the ball.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

What baffles me is how/why the team can come out and have wonderful ball movement in the first quarter, leading to many open looks and an assist on almost every basket, only fall back into an unholy reliance on ISO ball for the rest of the game. The decision making, passing and overall team play was a thing of beauty in the first quarter of game #2. Miami didn't stop us from doing that the rest of the game, the Raptors did it to themselves.

Whether it's on the coaching staff directly (their game plan) or indirectly (the players stopped moving the ball and weren't held accountable for it), it's ultimately on Casey. That's the frustrating thing about this Raptors team - they can play good enough to look like legit contenders, but they can't sustain it (and it's not just a matter of shots not falling).

[Demographic Shift]

What baffles me is how/why the team can come out and have wonderful ball movement in the first quarter, leading to many open looks and an assist on almost every basket, only fall back into an unholy reliance on ISO ball for the rest of the game. The decision making, passing and overall team play was a thing of beauty in the first quarter of game #2. Miami didn't stop us from doing that the rest of the game, the Raptors did it to themselves.

Whether it's on the coaching staff directly (their game plan) or indirectly (the players stopped moving the ball and weren't held accountable for it), it's ultimately on Casey. That's the frustrating thing about this Raptors team - they can play good enough to look like legit contenders, but they can't sustain it (and it's not just a matter of shots not falling).

To just float one out there...and this is going to sound trite... but am hoping starting now during either the pro personnel or the draft evaluation process.. Raps put a higher weighting on basketballs equivalent of the wonderlic test they use in the NFL.

Some of the things that cause near apoplexy are just really suspect decisions on the players part.
- The lazy inbounds pass after a basket pass because no one sneaks in right ? thats intercepted and turned into an easy deuce
- During the late stages of a run the forced circus passes for dunks that wind up in the hands of the other team
- The lack of mental focus that sees a normally good FT shooting team turn into high school FT stats.
- Simply stopping doing whats working while the other team hasn't shown you how they are going to stop it on your own volition

Hell we won ugly and you have to win like that in the playoffs but just tightening up on unforced errors would bring heart rates back from 140 to just the high 80's.

[S.R.]

I'm very close to 100% certain the play call from Casey was to run the clock out and take a last second shot, without risking an illegal screen or turnover giving the ball back. The right play is to get the ball up the floor, and run a simple pick and roll and try to get an open look for anyone at the buzzer.

The ESPN crew was baffled, absolutely baffled, that Lowry didn't run the p'n'r with JV after Lowry had just scored two consecutive buckets off that play. But Jon Barry is just a 16 year NBA vet. Probably doesn't know how important it is to just not turn the ball over because you're scared.

Honestly, don't you think it's play calls like that that contribute to this team playing tight and being skittish in big moments? "Guys, we have 10 seconds to score but we don't really want to win the game right now so much as we just don't want to lose. Please don't turn the ball over. Lowry ISO, no passes."

It's not like it was 3 seconds and the risk/reward was against forcing a play. Ten seconds is plenty of time to execute something. Casey actually ended up with good ATO play call numbers this season. Why doesn't he trust them in big moments? That JV pass to a cutting Carroll off an inbounds earlier in the game was absolutely beautiful.

[DanH]

What baffles me is how/why the team can come out and have wonderful ball movement in the first quarter, leading to many open looks and an assist on almost every basket, only fall back into an unholy reliance on ISO ball for the rest of the game. The decision making, passing and overall team play was a thing of beauty in the first quarter of game #2. Miami didn't stop us from doing that the rest of the game, the Raptors did it to themselves.

Whether it's on the coaching staff directly (their game plan) or indirectly (the players stopped moving the ball and weren't held accountable for it), it's ultimately on Casey. That's the frustrating thing about this Raptors team - they can play good enough to look like legit contenders, but they can't sustain it (and it's not just a matter of shots not falling).

Simple answer. We got a lead with our great play. Then played conservative to keep it (it shockingly did not work). It's a less obvious version of the run the clock offence late in games (which we also saw...), just spread over the second and third quarters. No passes, no turnovers.

Getting up by a decent margin is no excuse to turtle the rest of the game and hope you survive the inevitable runs.

[Miekenstien]

Hell we won ugly and you have to win like that in the playoffs but just tightening up on unforced errors would bring heart rates back from 140 to just the high 80's.

just? i thought this was as healthy as my resting rate could get

[suspenders]

What baffles me is how/why the team can come out and have wonderful ball movement in the first quarter, leading to many open looks and an assist on almost every basket, only fall back into an unholy reliance on ISO ball for the rest of the game. The decision making, passing and overall team play was a thing of beauty in the first quarter of game #2. Miami didn't stop us from doing that the rest of the game, the Raptors did it to themselves.

Whether it's on the coaching staff directly (their game plan) or indirectly (the players stopped moving the ball and weren't held accountable for it), it's ultimately on Casey. That's the frustrating thing about this Raptors team - they can play good enough to look like legit contenders, but they can't sustain it (and it's not just a matter of shots not falling).

I've been scratching my head all morning thinking about this.

#firecasey

[slaw]

What baffles me is how/why the team can come out and have wonderful ball movement in the first quarter, leading to many open looks and an assist on almost every basket, only fall back into an unholy reliance on ISO ball for the rest of the game. The decision making, passing and overall team play was a thing of beauty in the first quarter of game #2. Miami didn't stop us from doing that the rest of the game, the Raptors did it to themselves.

Whether it's on the coaching staff directly (their game plan) or indirectly (the players stopped moving the ball and weren't held accountable for it), it's ultimately on Casey. That's the frustrating thing about this Raptors team - they can play good enough to look like legit contenders, but they can't sustain it (and it's not just a matter of shots not falling).

Well, a big part of that in the first quarter was the Miami turnover machine fuelling the Raps in transition and the Raps are pretty good in those scenarios. Easy to pass when guys are wide open cause you're 5-on-4 and the defense is scrambling to get back and find their checks. Offense looks easy when you are getting layups and wide open threes off turnovers and in transition. It's a different story when you have to set up in the half court and every passing lane is contested and there's a guy in your face. It's in those situations where our guards tend to forget about their teammates and dribble around looking for their shots.

[slaw]

The ESPN crew was baffled, absolutely baffled, that Lowry didn't run the p'n'r with JV after Lowry had just scored two consecutive buckets off that play. But Jon Barry is just a 16 year NBA vet. Probably doesn't know how important it is to just not turn the ball over because you're scared.

Honestly, don't you think it's play calls like that that contribute to this team playing tight and being skittish in big moments? "Guys, we have 10 seconds to score but we don't really want to win the game right now so much as we just don't want to lose. Please don't turn the ball over. Lowry ISO, no passes."

It's not like it was 3 seconds and the risk/reward was against forcing a play. Ten seconds is plenty of time to execute something. Casey actually ended up with good ATO play call numbers this season. Why doesn't he trust them in big moments? That JV pass to a cutting Carroll off an inbounds earlier in the game was absolutely beautiful.

What is even more baffling is that the Raps have had some great ATO/out of bounds plays this series. I believe Carroll has had two layups and Joseph another off of inbounds plays that involved one or two passes. So, they'll run that stuff to get layups but when the game's on the line they go to a fade away 28-footer from a guy who hasn't been able to throw it in the ocean for weeks. And for Lowry to leave it so late that JV didn't even have a chance to rebound that heave is inexcusable.

No, that's a fucking terrible play call and there's no excuse for it. Even if you're playing for overtime you can find something better than what they got.

[Miekenstien]

What is even more baffling is that the Raps have had some great ATO/out of bounds plays this series. I believe Carroll has had two layups and Joseph another off of inbounds plays that involved one or two passes. So, they'll run that stuff to get layups but when the game's on the line they go to a fade away 28-footer from a guy who hasn't been able to throw it in the ocean for weeks. And for Lowry to leave it so late that JV didn't even have a chance to rebound that heave is inexcusable.

No, that's a fucking terrible play call and there's no excuse for it. Even if you're playing for overtime you can find something better than what they got.

the one inbounds play with jv getting the ball at the top of the key and making the pass to the cutter for the easy basket was beautiful

[JimiCliff]

Can't trust your guys to run a simple PNR with 10 seconds remaining?

Lowry and Derozan?

Have you been watching the playoffs?