Dwane Casey is not waiting for media day next fall to set out the goal for the 2012-13 Toronto Raptors. The head coach knows exactly what he wants from next year’s club.
“Being young is going to be out the window. It’s going to be about getting to the playoffs,” Casey said after the Raptors completed their last practice of the year on Wednesday. “I’m not saying we’re automatically going to make it. But that’s going to be our goal, not just development. We’re going to the next step. It’s past the building stage. It’s about winning next year.”
The last time the Raptors made the playoffs was 2008, which brought a five-game loss to Orlando in the first round. It was stated near the beginning of this year that the playoffs were a longshot. They head into Thursday’s finale against New Jersey at 22-43.
However, with 2011 fifth pick Jonas Valanciunas, a lottery pick from this year’s draft (or an asset acquired by trading it) and room under the salary cap to spend on free agents, next team has some promise.
“Being young is going to be out the window. It’s going to be about getting to the playoffs,” Casey said after the Raptors completed their last practice of the year on Wednesday. “I’m not saying we’re automatically going to make it. But that’s going to be our goal, not just development. We’re going to the next step. It’s past the building stage. It’s about winning next year.”
The last time the Raptors made the playoffs was 2008, which brought a five-game loss to Orlando in the first round. It was stated near the beginning of this year that the playoffs were a longshot. They head into Thursday’s finale against New Jersey at 22-43.
However, with 2011 fifth pick Jonas Valanciunas, a lottery pick from this year’s draft (or an asset acquired by trading it) and room under the salary cap to spend on free agents, next team has some promise.
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