Raptors Collapse Continues....

[iblastoff]

Would love to hear Casey, Lowry, and DD reference some of these issues specifically. Really discouraging to hear Casey make "just need to try harder" type comments.

i dunno i think casey has always been the same about post-game comments. generally supportive of the players and placing blame on himself. i mean hes switched starting lineups twice now and hes never actually indicated this in any interview as far as i know.

[Axel]

And here's a beauty from the guy who dropped 15 points on us the next night:

[Zainab]

Whats ailing Lowry? "Theres a few things", leaves it at that. Pat: "He wont let anyone in on it. Im surprised he lets the trainers in on it"

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 2, 2015

Patterson on Lowry: "He doesnt show any weakness, he doesnt show any pain. Kyle just keeps it all to himself and focuses on the game"

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 2, 2015

[psrs1]

Someone said it on the front page in the comments but I have been thinking this for a while as well. One of the biggest reasons why we have been playing like shit for a good month to 2 months now is because Lowry has been shit for a while. We go as Lowry goes and it seems since Lowry has fallen off a cliff so has our team. There are obviously a lot of other little things that have been a problem but at the end of the day we are really playing any different now than we were early on in the season when we were winning. What HAS changed though is how Lowry is playing. Another issue I think is that teams have figured us out and we have not adjusted. That's where the blame falls on Casey. How are we going to have any type of success in the playoffs in teams have already figured us out and learned to stop us since like January. But anyway I think those are the two main reasons we are losing now. Because we have been taking bad shots and not moving the ball since the season started but we were winning a lot early on, so that can't be the reason.

Lowry needs to go back to being a pass first point guard. That is when we were at ou best last year.

[Scraptor]

Whats ailing Lowry? "Theres a few things", leaves it at that. Pat: "He wont let anyone in on it. Im surprised he lets the trainers in on it"

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 2, 2015

Patterson on Lowry: "He doesnt show any weakness, he doesnt show any pain. Kyle just keeps it all to himself and focuses on the game"

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 2, 2015

Yeah I don't put a ton of blame on Lowry. You know the guy gives his all. And it sounds like he's going to be out a few more games... Taking all those charges can't be good for your body.

[golden]

I think this is honestly how I see DD playing the game right now.



Yes, it is that bad.

LOL. That would be JV's fault for not getting out the damn way. So said Casey, in the post-game presser.

[Nilanka]

And here's a beauty from the guy who dropped 15 points on us the next night:

Bahahaahaha!

I love how Smith, Bargnani and Larkin all just put their head down and start walking back up court. It's like they've seen it a million times.

[peanutwoozle]

No. The only blame is not starting to make the team his own sooner. But we all know he tried and fate/luck had different ideas.

The coach is BCs and the starting lineup is BCs.

Masai has out his imprint on the team but not his stamp.

Casey is technically Masai's now since he extended him, same with Lowry

Out of the players
Masai - Lowry (since Masai gave him his new contract), JJ, Patterson, Vasquez, Lou, Steamer, Bruno, Bebe, Hayes, Tyler
BC - DD, Valanciunas, Amir, Ross, Fields

[raptors999]

Casey is technically Masai's now since he extended him, same with Lowry

Out of the players
Masai - Lowry (since Masai gave him his new contract), JJ, Patterson, Vasquez, Lou, Steamer, Bruno, Bebe, Hayes, Tyler
BC - DD, Valanciunas, Amir, Ross, Fields

MU had no choice in extending Casey, the short low value contract means he is easily replaced.

[peanutwoozle]

MU had no choice in extending Casey, the short low value contract means he is easily replaced.

well, regardless if he had no choice or not, Casey is now property of Masai, no ifs ands or buts.
Once a guy gets a contract with the current GM, they are now property of that GM.
That's like saying James Johnson is still BC's.

[S.R.]

well, regardless if he had no choice or not, Casey is now property of Masai, no ifs ands or buts.
Once a guy gets a contract with the current GM, they are now property of that GM.
That's like saying James Johnson is still BC's.

This kind of misses the original point, that MU really hasn't "put his stamp" on this team yet. Extending existing personnel early in the process because they're doing pretty well at the moment is not the same thing. Yes, MU is "responsible" for the fact that Casey is still the head coach, but that doesn't counter the point that MU has yet to really shape this team according to his own vision.

Could he have started sooner? At the moment that looks like it would have been a good idea, but up until a couple months ago it looked like he would get to build on a solid base of a very competitive second round playoff team. Now suddenly we're talking about replacing the head coach and core players (DD).

I'm really looking forward to the changes, regardless, but am still pretty bummed about this downturn and crappy play.

[MixxAOR]

MU could have fired Casey when he became GM in summer and nobody would've questioned his decision. Instead he waited. The fact that he doesn't do anything shouldn't excuse him. Extending Vasquez, Patterson, making Lowry to stay and getting JJ and Lou Will is enough stamp for me.

[mcHAPPY]

Casey is technically Masai's now since he extended him, same with Lowry

Out of the players
Masai - Lowry (since Masai gave him his new contract), JJ, Patterson, Vasquez, Lou, Steamer, Bruno, Bebe, Hayes, Tyler
BC - DD, Valanciunas, Amir, Ross, Fields

What would have happened last year had Masai not brought back Casey, let Lowry walk, and/or traded DeRozan?

The fan base would have shit a collective brick and the media would have crucified him. And you know what? Rightly so in my opinion.

Masai had no choice but to continue with what had transpired after the Gay trade. The franchise and fan base rejoiced and were celebrated league wide after last season. Imagine if they pulled a Philly and traded DeRozan such as they did with Holiday? It is easy to look at how this season has transpired and say, "yeah, he should have traded DeRozan, brought in his own coach, and let Lowry walk." Unfortunately, from so many angles, that was just not possible.

We still have the playoffs to play out. However, at this moment in time I don't think anyone who is a fan of the team first and wants to see more than a playoff appearance gets livid this summer if Lowry or DeRozan is traded, Amir or Lou walks, and/or Casey is fired. If they get bounced in the first round again it will have been nearly two full seasons to see what this core can do.


Masai needed to see this core and coach through after last season's unexpected success. If they continue to limp in to the playoffs and especially if they get bounced in the first round, Masai will have all the ammunition he needs to justify drastic changes to a team that is arguably the best assembled in Raptors franchise history (and yes that speaks volumes to the shittiness of this franchise's history).

[007]

a team that is arguably the best assembled in Raptors franchise history

That makes me very sad....

[Primer]

well, regardless if he had no choice or not, Casey is now property of Masai, no ifs ands or buts.
Once a guy gets a contract with the current GM, they are now property of that GM.
That's like saying James Johnson is still BC's.

I don't hold Masai accountable to bringing Casey back. It does matter that he had no choice. Let's not forget that the Raptors hadn't made the playoffs since 2007-08, and had just had their highest win total in team history. Fan excitement was at levels not seen since the Vince carter days. Despite how obviously flawed Casey was, we couldn't not bring him back. The closest thing he could do to replacing Casey right then was to sign him to a very short term deal. He signed him to a 2 year deal with a team option for the 3rd year. Had he given him a Brad Stevens 6 year contract, then yes, that would be his coach. As it was, Masai did the best he could. Now, if Masai doesn't replace Casey this offseason, when there is infinitely less pressure to keep him around, then I'd say that Casey is his coach, and it'd be the first real mistake Masai has made with the Raptors.