Toronto Raptors flameout: Why didn’t any player enjoy a decent playoff series?

While I take no pleasure in rubbing salt in the nasty wound which is the Toronto Raptors’ massive playoff failure, our team won’t improve unless the entire fiasco is analyzed, and accurate conclusions drawn. My colleague Kevin Nimmock concentrated on Kyle Lowry’s miserable four games, and certainly our point guard’s bellyflop was the most painful and portentous of all of our players’. Beyond Kyle’s failure, I think we need to understand, to the extent possible, what happened to the team.

Apr 15, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors President and General Manager Masai Ujiri gestures prior to the game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Air Canada Centre. The Hornets won 92-87. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

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Dwayne Casey’s starters were dreadful from the opening tip, and the bench was no better. Our squad shot 41.6% from the field, or 14th of the 16 playoff teams. The Washington Wizards lead the pack, at 48.2%…wound, meet salt. They also enjoy the top 3-point shooting percentage, at 44.3. How’s that defensive-genius reputation looking, Coach – a little tattered, perhaps? We put up the worst plus/minus in the the post-season at minus_14, and the fewest blocked shots. That’s more than enough evidence of failure.

Did our team fall, or was it pushed? If we fell, then the ramifications for Dwane Casey’s job are ominous. If we were pushed, the players aren’t good enough, and the roster needs a shake-up.

I’m going to choose the latter answer, as a shake-up was in the cards even if we won a couple of rounds. Getting rid of the coach looks like an easy move, and it is IF our GM has another coach waiting in the wings. Otherwise, a busy summer becomes unmanageable. Our brains trust is already getting ready for Draft Day, June 25. There’s summer league, and whatever further work needs to go into scrambling an organization in time for kick-off of our D-League affiliate. There are free agents to woo, trades to consider, a practice facility to finish before the All-Star Game…wait…All-Star Game, 2016!! Layering a coaching search on top of all that workload is too much. And don’t forget – Masai is about to get a new boss himself, as Tim Leiweke’s time at MLSE grows short.

We can’t make a coaching switch now. There’s no young genius a la Brad Stevens hanging around. However, Dwane needs to understand very clearly, from his boss’ mouth, that what happened in the playoffs was not acceptable. If the Raps stumble out of the gate in November, or mess the bed in the post-season, he should know his resignation will be expected.

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Dwane stays, but his players are in flux. We’re far from done.