#FireCasey

[Axel]

Any answer would be based on faith until it actually happens wouldn't it? I could say that he has shown he is capable of change as we've seen his improvements in calling out time outs and game to game adjustments in the playoffs, etc., but again until he does change the offence you can always question whether he is willing.

There's lots of reasons that have been presented.

1. Job security. Money. Contract.
2. He's a good company man.
3. He replaced his defensive system.
4. Less material changes regarding young players, ATOs, EOG management, etc.

I'll ask the opposite: why in the world do you think he wouldn't be agreeable to change?

You two both seem to be missing the fact that this started when someone said explicitly that "Casey seems to be willing" - so the question is simply what specifically makes Casey seem willing as opposed to anyone else. Generic reasons and speaking of generalities doesn't answer that, which is fine, it wasn't your statement but it's not the intent to go down a rabbit hole of generalities.

[lewro]

Casey had his back against the wall vs the Pacers and he went against his "ride or die" mantra when he benched DeMar. That's an example of putting winning and job security ahead of stubbornly adhering to his system.
When we got swept vs wiz, Lowry seemed to call out Casey in the presser and Casey took it on the chin and towed the company line. That's an example of putting the organization ahead of personal ego.
If masai says jump, Casey will say how high? Nothing in his track record suggests otherwise. Masai is on record as saying that he's had discussions with Casey re "culture reset" and that Casey is on-board.

[slaw]

You two both seem to be missing the fact that this started when someone said explicitly that "Casey seems to be willing" - so the question is simply what specifically makes Casey seem willing as opposed to anyone else. "answers Axel doesn't like" and speaking of "answers Axel doesn't like" doesn't answer that, which is fine, it wasn't your statement but it's not the intent to go down a rabbit hole of "answers Axel doesn't like".

I fixed it for you. You misspelled "answers Axel doesn't like".....

[Axel]

I fixed it for you. You misspelled "answers Axel doesn't like".....

Oh the clever wit of Slaw, or is that bullshit, I always get those two confused.

[Scraptor]

One underlying assumption here is that this is "Casey's system" and he's wedded to it. Is he? Really? Or has he simply been committed to it because it's seen them into the playoffs 4 years straight, including a conference finals? Is it because he has seen it as successful (because it has been)?

Phil Jackson was, and is, married to the triangle. Is Casey so married to a dribble-drive offense he'd quit? I don't know for certain, he hasn't mentioned it to me, but if I was a betting man I'd bet on Casey putting in a new offense over quitting or getting fired cause he refused....

Phil Jackson won 11 championships.

Dwane Casey is 15-24 in the playoffs, frequently losing to lower-ranked teams. That's not successful. Nor does it really make for a good comparison.

Further, the question isn't whether Casey is willing to implement a better system. It's whether he's even capable of doing so. All his talk the last few years hasn't materialized in any significant change to the way we play.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

There are a few things we know as facts (and yes, I use the term loosely), which when added up, seems to make "keep the core together" (the core being Casey, Lowry and DeRozan) and "culture change" appear mutually exclusive.

Casey
- he seems like a bit of a paradox; his 'pound the rock' mantra and role cards point to stubbornness, yet he seems to give his assistants flexibility to implement different offensive/defensive systems (ie: Greer's defense), but then can't change flow during the season let alone within a game
- one of his greatest strengths seems to be that he is respected by his players, especially the stars and vets, whom he lets play to their strength/preference (ie: ride-or-die with Lowry & DeRozan)
- when asked why the team doesn't pass more, he stated that this roster doesn't have players that are capable of passing

Lowry
- he is a pass-first PG
- he sulked and sucked when the Raptors tried to turn him into Calderon 2.0
- became a star after MU sat down with him, handed the team keys to him, and told him to play the game his way (one has to think either Casey was supportive of this, or was explicitly directed by MU to plan around this)

DeRozan
- he's at his best with the ball in his hands, using ISO or screens to get his own offense first
- has shown glimpses of being able to facilitate, but not often and usually only when he gets frustrated enough not being able to score himself


As hard as I've been on DeRozan in the past, I can't help but think he's the most likely to be able to adapt to a new pass-first culture, especially if the coach holds him accountable to do so.

When I get to Casey and Lowry, I can't help but think one of them has to go, in order for MU's culture change/reset to be implemented. It's easy to point at Casey, but we don't really know all that has transpired behind the scenes between him and MU over the years, especially as it relates to Lowry and tailoring the system to benefit Lowry and DeRozan. I also can't help but think that by firing Casey for playing that style of system, MU would effectively be implicating himself as equally guilty, since he went out of his way to bring in players to fit that system (to compliment Lowry/DeRozan and fill the gaps that their weaknesses created).

Perhaps by keeping Casey and demanding he change his system, MU is separating himself from his coach (and possibly the core players on the roster), so that if the team isn't any more successful it's easier to retool (coaching staff and/or roster) without admitting his own failing.

[lewro]

I haven't been following this thread closely; was this posted?
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/n...reset-raptors/

[CalgaryRapsFan]

I haven't been following this thread closely; was this posted?
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/n...reset-raptors/

To be fair though, what's the alternative? If Casey comes out against it, he's fired immediately. I don't read much into what either MU or Casey says to the media, since it's all PR smoke.

Having said that, the more I think about it and consider the various contract situations, maybe it does make sense for Casey to stay and Lowry to leave. At the very least it opens the door to change the style of play with the team's leader and floor-general moving on, and gives Casey a chance to show what he can do with a new system and revamped roster.

[lewro]

To be fair though, what's the alternative? If Casey comes out against it, he's fired immediately. I don't read much into what either MU or Casey says to the media, since it's all PR smoke.

Having said that, the more I think about it and consider the various contract situations, maybe it does make sense for Casey to stay and Lowry to leave. At the very least it opens the door to change the style of play with the team's leader and floor-general moving on, and gives Casey a chance to show what he can do with a new system and revamped roster.

I haven't read the article or watched the video. I just saw it on Reddit when I had a minute and the title seemed relevant. Hopefully I can check it out tonight.

[golden]

I haven't been following this thread closely; was this posted?
http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/n...reset-raptors/

Casey says the players have to work on shooting more 3's. Makes no mention of Derozan... all-star shooting guard. smh. Quotes like these make me skeptical.

Still, what worked in the regular season hasn’t translated to the playoffs, and one way Casey plans to address that is to make Toronto a more dangerous three-point threat.

“We’ve got to get where that’s part of our playing personality, a huge part of our identity,” said Casey. “Quality threes. … You and I can go out and shoot them, but we want to make them.”

Casey met with point guard Cory Joseph on Tuesday to discuss that and says threes will be a key point of emphasis during summer workouts and in training camp. The Raptors averaged 24.3 three-point shots per game in 2016-17; Casey wants that number up to the 30-32 range.

He added that Norman Powell, Delon Wright and Ibaka, if re-signed, must take more shots from beyond the arc next season.

“It’s a change for those players, but it can be done. It has been done,” said Casey. “[Raptors free-agent point guard] Kyle Lowry is a great example. When he first came in the league you wouldn’t have said he’s a good three-point shooter and now he’s one of the best in the league.”

[LJ2]

Phil Jackson won 11 championships.

Dwane Casey is 15-24 in the playoffs, frequently losing to lower-ranked teams. That's not successful. Nor does it really make for a good comparison.

Further, the question isn't whether Casey is willing to implement a better system. It's whether he's even capable of doing so. All his talk the last few years hasn't materialized in any significant change to the way we play.

C'mon man. Phil was coaching Jordan, Kobe and Shaq. Not Lowry, DeRozan and JV

[golden]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/1...state-warriors

"We're just focused on Boston. The stuff they're running, it's harder to defend than Golden State's [offense] for me, as far as the actions and all the running around and all the guys who are making all the plays, so it's a totally different thing."

Wait, the Isaiah Thomas-less 53-win Celtics are harder to defend than the Kevin Durant-supercharged 67-win Warriors? Come again, Coach?

"Like, they hit the post, Golden State runs splits and all that stuff, but these guys are running all kinds of s---," Lue said of Boston coach Brad Stevens' schemes. "I'll be like, 'F---.' They're running all kinds of s---, man. And Brad's got them moving and cutting and playing with pace, and everybody is a threat. It's tough, you know, it's tough."

James gushed again about Stevens' after-timeout plays and how they are among the most creative plays he has seen and how they've routinely given the Celtics quality looks. James essentially credited Stevens for helping Boston remain competitive.

"So they had to kind of reshape [without Thomas] and that's the beauty of having Brad Stevens as your coach," James said. "You're able to reshape what you do offensively and still be in a good rhythm. It's been challenging for us to kind of -- plays out of timeout, [they've] kind of been killing us on ATOs and keeping us off-balance, but in the second half we kind of got a little bit of rhythm and think we'll be better in Game 5.

[ball4life]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/1...state-warriors

"bRad StEveNs iS oVeRatEd"

[MixxAOR]

"I don't even think about them," Lue said of the Warriors to a small group of traveling Cleveland beat writers following the Cavs' Game 4 win Tuesday. "We're just focused on Boston. The stuff they're running, it's harder to defend than Golden State's [offense] for me, as far as the actions and all the running around and all the guys who are making all the plays, so it's a totally different thing."

[DanH]

Casey says the players have to work on shooting more 3's. Makes no mention of Derozan... all-star shooting guard. smh. Quotes like these make me skeptical.

Pretty sure there were some quotes on twitter from that scrum where he said DeRozan would be looking to extend his range to above the break, after successfully extending his range to the corner previously. Just not in the article for some reason, or perhaps it was a later scrum.