#FireCasey

[golden]

Personally, on the slim chance a coaching change were to happen, the guy I'd most like to see step into the lead role is Nick Nurse. The systems he ran in the D-League were intriguing.

Just a completely un-founded outside opinion, but I don't see Nick Nurse as the type of guy who can command the respect of strong NBA personalities like Lowry. Is Nurse going to hold them accountable to play defense, for example, if Casey can't?

[Nilanka]

Just a completely un-founded outside opinion, but I don't see Nick Nurse as the type of guy who can command the respect of strong NBA personalities like Lowry. Is Nurse going to hold them accountable to play defense, for example, if Casey can't?

I think we have to cut our losses with the D this year. It won't get better under Casey, and it likely won't get better with [insert new coach] either. With 20-something games, left, just not enough time to make any drastic defensive changes.

So perhaps the only thing Nurse would need to do, is get the ball moving in crunch time. And based on his resume with the D-League, it seems within his capabilities.

[DanH]

I think we have to cut our losses with the D this year. It won't get better under Casey, and it likely won't get better with [insert new coach] either. With 20-something games, left, just not enough time to make any drastic defensive changes.

So perhaps the only thing Nurse would need to do, is get the ball moving in crunch time. And based on his resume with the D-League, it seems within his capabilities.

Drastic changes? Go back to last year's conservative system. Whoever gets promoted to interim head coach was here last year when they ran it, as were almost all the players. Not hard.

I don't know about whether players would listen to him, but how could we possibly know that either way?

[LJ2]

Just a completely un-founded outside opinion, but I don't see Nick Nurse as the type of guy who can command the respect of strong NBA personalities like Lowry. Is Nurse going to hold them accountable to play defense, for example, if Casey can't?

When it comes to Lowry, can anyone hold him accountable short of Popovich? He had a reputation for not getting along with coaches prior to Casey did he not? Maybe I'm wrong and he wants to be coached harder by a Thibs sort of personality, but has he changed that much since his time with McHale in Houston?

[golden]

When it comes to Lowry, can anyone hold him accountable short of Popovich? He had a reputation for not getting along with coaches prior to Casey did he not? Maybe I'm wrong and he wants to be coached harder by a Thibs sort of personality, but has he changed that much since his time with McHale in Houston?

Lowry obviously doesn't respect Casey "as a coach", so I suppose if somebody can come in a prove to him that they have a superior coaching mind, they can earn Lowry's respect "as a coach". Somebody like a Brad Stevens, perhaps.

[S.R.]

I think Masai will make a Casey decision after the playoffs

Yeah, I don't think the players' frustration changes anything yet. Maybe if they fall right out of the playoffs we'll see something more drastic, but otherwise both coaching changes and major roster decisions at this point are too reactionary and not Masai's style.

Remember it was Masai, not Casey, who was one of the key guys who basically talked Lowry into a more mature approach to his game the first time around. I think Masai would still have confidence in his relationship with Lowry even if this season turns out poorly.

We also know from write ups that Masai has been trying to make a move for a PF since last summer and has had several targets that for one reason or another didn't work out. You still can't change that approach, imho, of being patient and making sure your transactions are a net gain for your franchise. You can't panic and lose a trade just because you're scared - that is exactly the corner Colangelo was painted in with the Bosh teams, remember? Might lose the star! Have to be better right now! Get whoever's available! The team spun its wheels season after season, didn't get anywhere, and lost Bosh anyway. It's not only about this year, it's also about the next 5 years and you can't be too reactionary, as shitty as some of the losses have been the past six weeks.

[hotfuzz]

What about David Blatt?

[golden]

What about David Blatt?

.... who leads the Raps to a 1st round upset of the Cavs. That would be too poetic.

[Nilanka]

Drastic changes? Go back to last year's conservative system. Whoever gets promoted to interim head coach was here last year when they ran it, as were almost all the players. Not hard.

I don't know about whether players would listen to him, but how could we possibly know that either way?

Sure, sounds easy enough. But how long will it take for the players to break their current defensive habits? Is 27 games enough?

[DanH]

Sure, sounds easy enough. But how long will it take for the players to break their current defensive habits? Is 27 games enough?

They still use the conservative style occasionally and in certain play actions. There's no reason why they wouldn't be able to shift to that full time.

[lewro]

I've long been curious about Jay wright. I think Lowry respects him? Not sure he would leave 'nova tho?
I never liked stack as a player but I really liked his rotations at LVSL. Haven't seen dleague since Facebook.
Nurse was my first thought as interim, not rex but I'd prefer an outsider long term.

[LJ2]

Yeah, I don't think the players' frustration changes anything yet. Maybe if they fall right out of the playoffs we'll see something more drastic, but otherwise both coaching changes and major roster decisions at this point are too reactionary and not Masai's style.

Remember it was Masai, not Casey, who was one of the key guys who basically talked Lowry into a more mature approach to his game the first time around. I think Masai would still have confidence in his relationship with Lowry even if this season turns out poorly.

We also know from write ups that Masai has been trying to make a move for a PF since last summer and has had several targets that for one reason or another didn't work out. You still can't change that approach, imho, of being patient and making sure your transactions are a net gain for your franchise. You can't panic and lose a trade just because you're scared - that is exactly the corner Colangelo was painted in with the Bosh teams, remember? Might lose the star! Have to be better right now! Get whoever's available! The team spun its wheels season after season, didn't get anywhere, and lost Bosh anyway. It's not only about this year, it's also about the next 5 years and you can't be too reactionary, as shitty as some of the losses have been the past six weeks.

Agree with most of what you say. Only thing I feel you might be incorrect is the idea that you can win every trade. At some point...especially when you are in the position of the Raptors where you are trying to cross the barrier of good team to contender I think you have to give up a lot for the final piece which is likely a star player. Most contenders are made up of stars and D-leaguers that look good because of the stars.

[Nilanka]

Agree with most of what you say. Only thing I feel you might be incorrect is the idea that you can win every trade. At some point...especially when you are in the position of the Raptors where you are trying to cross the barrier of good team to contender I think you have to give up a lot for the final piece which is likely a star player. Most contenders are made up of stars and D-leaguers that look good because of the stars.

This brings up an interesting discussion point....that is, how long should we be evaluating the outcomes of a trade?

If the Raptors trade the farm for Millsap now, and we earn a trip to the finals, I'd say we win that trade. But in 5 years, when the Hawks are using our former assets to win 60 games (while we're scratching and clawing to win 40 games), they would consider themselves winners of the trade, too.

In other words, we could win the trade now, and lose the trade later.

[slaw]

This brings up an interesting discussion point....that is, how long should we be evaluating the outcomes of a trade?

If the Raptors trade the farm for Millsap now, and we earn a trip to the finals, I'd say we win that trade. But in 5 years, when the Hawks are using our former assets to win 60 games (while we're scratching and clawing to win 40 games), they would consider themselves winners of the trade, too.

In other words, we could win the trade now, and lose the trade later.

In that case, both teams win. In that scenario, Toronto's goal was WIN NOW and they did and ATL's goal was to WIN LATER and they did. Deals can be mutually beneficial....

[Scraptor]

We also know from write ups that Masai has been trying to make a move for a PF since last summer and has had several targets that for one reason or another didn't work out. You still can't change that approach, imho, of being patient and making sure your transactions are a net gain for your franchise. You can't panic and lose a trade just because you're scared - that is exactly the corner Colangelo was painted in with the Bosh teams, remember? Might lose the star! Have to be better right now! Get whoever's available! The team spun its wheels season after season, didn't get anywhere, and lost Bosh anyway. It's not only about this year, it's also about the next 5 years and you can't be too reactionary, as shitty as some of the losses have been the past six weeks.

You also can't do nothing because you are afraid you might not totally win a trade. There is an opportunity cost with each season you spend plugging in the gaps with the likes of Luis Scola and Jared Sullinger. In fact the current issues may be a product of putting off addressing these needs for so long in the first place.

We're coming up on four full seasons for Masai, more than half the tenure of BC... When exactly is the right time to solve these problems? We're going to be capped out. How will the next three years play out if we don't take action soon?

Four seasons (including four full offseasons) and we still haven't gotten a solid, dependable 3 or 4. The key starters at PG/SG/C are exactly the same. I love Patman but the guy is down to 52% TS because he is pretty inconsistent.

This isn't about the losses of the last six weeks, just like Casey's issues aren't confined to the last six weeks. There are larger long-term issues at play here.