Now's your chance: Tell Coach Casey EXACTLY what he needs to hear! Quickly! While there's STILL TIME! :)

[golden]

1) Hand in your resignation...

2) If not (1) then frequently run cutters when JV is in the post. Specifically use DD & JJ in that role. Just like this....

Keep the PG in contact - no clear outs.

[mcHAPPY]

1) Hand in your resignation...

2) If not (1) then frequently run cutters when JV is in the post. Specifically use DD & JJ in that role. Just like this....

Keep the PG in contact - no clear outs.

The amazing thing about this is Brooks was often criticized for his reliance on ISO (despite having 2 of the top 5 players in the league) yet he still managed to have a little bit of player movement off the ball during a post up.


#CaseyIsBaaaad

[blackjitsu]

Most of this has been said:

1/ Implement ICE defense as a primary defense (Chicago) and match up zone as a secondary defense (Mavs)
2/Use Horns and add a hybrid Princeton Offense (motion, back-door cuts, use the post player more) which allows the team to burn clock without using iso.
3/Control style of play -- force the other team to go big or small -- not the other way around.

[Maury]

Most of this has been said:

1/ Implement ICE defense as a primary defense (Chicago) and match up zone as a secondary defense (Mavs)
2/Use Horns and add a hybrid Princeton Offense (motion, back-door cuts, use the post player more) which allows the team to burn clock without using iso.
3/Control style of play -- force the other team to go big or small -- not the other way around.

This is exactly what we need.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LJ2]

1. Time to put your foot down and demand the guys play their roles and within the system you've set up. Hearing that Lowry has his own agenda for following up on last years All Star appearance by playing hero ball all the time isn't gonna cut it.

2. Get those assits up. We don't have the correct personnel to play a one on one game, so stop making it sound like DD is a clutch player whom can close out games and implement/reimplement a system which creates open shots, ie. pass the ball.

3. Defense. Lets win ugly if we have to, but our defense should be the one area of the game we can always rely on.

[Wild-ling#1]

Very interesting. For a guy who's still trying to learn his way around B-ball strategy, there are some welcome observations to consider here. Thanks.

I do feel that my own ignorance is a limit on such a discussion, though ... (damn). Not sure what to do about that. I don't think a posting can offer much nuance about the various approaches. If anyone can offer a decent online source, though, for members who understand the very basics (the pick and roll, player-on-player vs zone defences) ... but who isn't "up" on everything that has been put forward, I'd appreciate that, too. But maybe there ain't no such animal.

I would like to make a couple of other remarks about the responses, so far, though.

It's not a great surprise, but I think biases are limiting the discussion (a good one to have pre-season, right?).

E.g: I think the statement "This team won't truly contend until DeRozan is not even one of the focuses of the offence" is entirely defensible. May be correct. But I still don't think offering up a coaching plan that wholly excludes Demar DeRozan from our offence, Snooch, offers anyone anything useful to think about for this season.

Neither is any sort of comment which sounds like: "Send Casey back to grade-school to re-learn the alphabet ... with a particular focus on the 'X''s and the 'O's! (lol)".

There are a few of those. Witty, maybe. Perhaps justified. But maybe not very helpful.

Even the most useful, good-faith responses (the ones I'm ready to go forward and do some thinking/reading based on) suffered from this a bit, I think. The way I see it, this is truly a learning/transitional, and so an experimental, season. No coaches' - and not a single players' future - is fully secure with this organization. We don't really know what we'll have, by the end of the season, in anyone. As such, putting forward suggestions that are premised on Casey's blind-spots or "established" tendencies is unfortunate, I think. That we cannot discuss what contingencies or flexibility the coaches might employ, for example, against various sorts of match-ups ... because Casey (and his staff) cannot be trusted to adapt, is limiting, I think.

The fact is (I know from all pro-sports) that it is exceedingly rare that a team can dictate a style of play against all opponents. Usually you just can't ... unless (i.e.) you're Brazil ... and it's football ... and it's the eighties.

So ...

So "Thanks" Those of us who are a step behind the real savants here do appreciate, I'm sure, your thoughts at this time, and on this subject.

[Superjudge]

You Know....

I'm not qualified to tell Casey what to do with a roster that i have not once been on a floor with, or on a trip with.

But I do like what I read above, the more philosophical approach of taking the bull by the horns. I often got the feeling that Casey was maybe too nice?

If that makes sense?

He seems like a "Players" coach, and thats ok, if you have 15 vets, but he doesn't and he needs to be the head of the snake. Maybe he already is a badass.... I have zero idea. I just feel like the players don't fear him.... and what do players fear more than anything....... SITTING. What does a coach ultimately control in the NBA..... playing time.

Thats it from me. Because if they don't respect ya, they gotta fear you, if they do neither..... its maybe time to move on.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

You Know....

I'm not qualified to tell Casey what to do with a roster that i have not once been on a floor with, or on a trip with.

But I do like what I read above, the more philosophical approach of taking the bull by the horns. I often got the feeling that Casey was maybe too nice?

If that makes sense?

He seems like a "Players" coach, and thats ok, if you have 15 vets, but he doesn't and he needs to be the head of the snake. Maybe he already is a badass.... I have zero idea. I just feel like the players don't fear him.... and what do players fear more than anything....... SITTING. What does a coach ultimately control in the NBA..... playing time.

Thats it from me. Because if they don't respect ya, they gotta fear you, if they do neither..... its maybe time to move on.

It's not just a matter of being too nice, but rather that he appears to be inconsistent.

For the past few years he holds young players (ie: Valanciunas & Ross) or players he allegedly has issues with (ie: JJ) to one degree of accountability, while letting his veterans (ie: Alan Anderson, Salmons, Lou, Vasquez, Lowry, DeRozan, etc...) get away with whatever they want. At times their selfish play and horrendously inefficient chucking cost the teams games, while at other times their defensive effort was a complete joke, yet he continued to ride 'his guys'.

A coach is like a general. If the troops aren't following orders, they need to be disciplined. His problem is that he disciplines foot-soldiers, while letting his Majors/Captains/Commanders/etc... get away with undisciplined play. If he brought the hammer down on the veterans/leaders, demanding that they play the right way, then the younger and less experienced players should fall into line.

Beyond the basketball x's & o's, it's just been years of poor leadership from Casey, plain and simple.

[Superjudge]

Or so it appears right.... thats why I am often less acute with criticism.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Or so it appears right.... thats why I am often less acute with criticism.

Fair enough, which is why I included the qualifier. However, having watched nearly every game DC has coached, I don't think I've ever seen the likes of Gay, DeRozan, Lowry, Lou or Vasquez benched, especially not after making a single wrong or boneheaded play.

The double-standard seems to be quite apparent when watching the games. That's one of the things that JJ allegedly took issue with, which only served to land him in the doghouse.

If there isn't a double-standard, and that type of play is what DC actually demanded from those players (selfish, low-efficient chucking, with terrible defense), then that's an even more damning indictment of DC's coaching abilities.

[BS10]

Yea, Casey doesn't possess real leadership skills and doesn't have the basketball knowledge that would make him a respectable coach. It's hard to teach leadership skills to a guy that was hired to be a leader of the team. I think thats was Toronto's mistake. They believed in a guy that didn't believe in himself. As well as, he doesn't know how to critique himself and doesn't have anyone around him that will help him improve and change his ways. Casey is just a puppet as far as i'm concerned.

[Pele]

This is going to be very general:
Get back to defense - capitalize on the talents of Greer and the length/athleticism combo on the roster.
Get DeMar shooting 3s (from the corner) - I think Casey is excited to see if DeMar's work can finally pay off in 3-balls.
Get Jonas (and everyone and the ball) on the move - pick and roll, drive and dump, kickouts, ball humming, open court, etc. Trust the pass again (to use a Casey-ism), stop forcing the shot.

This last one is big to me because last year it seemed pretty clear the team had been instructed to "keep it yourself and take your shot, there's a good chance you'll get fouled". You could guarantee that the floater - from Lou, GV, Ross, DeMar, Lowry - was going up even if there was an easy little oop available. We've got better finishers now, around the rim and behind the line - use them.

Jonas killed with the PnR at the Euros. He should get fed off the PnR at least 3 times a game....and multiple go-to's if he's pouring in the buckets.

[Pele]

You Know....

I'm not qualified to tell Casey what to do with a roster that i have not once been on a floor with, or on a trip with.

But I do like what I read above, the more philosophical approach of taking the bull by the horns. I often got the feeling that Casey was maybe too nice?

If that makes sense?

He seems like a "Players" coach, and thats ok, if you have 15 vets, but he doesn't and he needs to be the head of the snake. Maybe he already is a badass.... I have zero idea. I just feel like the players don't fear him.... and what do players fear more than anything....... SITTING. What does a coach ultimately control in the NBA..... playing time.

Thats it from me. Because if they don't respect ya, they gotta fear you, if they do neither..... its maybe time to move on.

Everyone knows that DC's X & O game bites. His value is in his leadership and motivation skills.....pound the rock.

My question is, where was that leadership when the Raps were playing putrid, tepid turdball against Washington? It was really disturbing...

[golden]

Everyone knows that DC's X & O game bites. His value is in his leadership and motivation skills.....pound the rock.

My question is, where was that leadership when the Raps were playing putrid, tepid turdball against Washington? It was really disturbing...

Leadership and motivation can mean a lot of things. Casey is good at people skills, in that people genuinely seem to like him and he doesn't look like an in-your-face type of guy. However, a big part of leadership & motivation is getting people to do what they should do, instead of what they like to do, or what they want to do. And you can't do that by trading off a virtue for a vice. It's like getting your kids to eat their vegetables by rewarding them with a bowl of candy. According to a DD interview on NBA TV, Casey apparently let the Raps "do whatever they wanted on offense" as long as they played defense. Of course, they eventually got addicted to the candy, and started eating less and less vegetables.

[Axel]

Top priorities that Casey needs to emphasize this year

1. Unselfish offence. The last couple of years there has been too much "get mine" type of offence. This year, we need to get into the "anyone can score" mentality where the ball and players move often to get the best shot possible. Whether we run more horns, motion, PnR heavy - don't care as long we we focus on getting the best shot as a team. I kinda wish the allstar game wasn't in Toronto this year cause guys need to get allstar nods and all personal accolades out of their minds. With the exception of DD and Ross, everyone has their contract settled, so no need to pad any stats.

2. The defence needs to be revamped away from the hedging and scrambling. Allow JV to ICE the PnR and his defence is suddenly much better in the PnR. Wingers need to do a better job bumping the dribbler to make it hard for the screen to get set and then FIGHT through screens better.

3. I'd like to see more emphasis on pushing in transition and crashing the offensive glass. We have good athletes and high motor bigs to take advantage of a faster pace. Getting out will allow Carrroll, KL, Ross and Joseph more opportunities for open treys and our athletes some open looks at the rim. Getting multiple guys looking to keep the ball alive by crashing the glass will get us more open looks and without the scramble defence, we should have an easier time transitioning back when the def grabs the board.

The final thing that Casey needs to do starts with staring into the mirror. Accountability and being less reactive. No double standards for players with regards to effort or teamwork. Cannot sub out better players just to match up with your opponent; force the opponent to adjust to us.

All in all, nothing that hasn't been said before or surprises. Casey has cycled through enough assistants, time for him to earn his pay check.