Raptors need Casey to be more than a defensive coach
Every coach has his specialty, and unquestionably Dwane Casey’s is on the defensive end. But the Raptors’ head coach has to prioritize offense for his team to take the next step.
Dwane Casey was hired by the Raptors in the offseason of 2011, after his Dallas Mavericks beat LeBron James’ Miami Heat to win the NBA Championship. The Raptors, looking to improve on their league-worst defensive rating, brought in the assistant coach and architect of the Mavericks’ championship defence, which finished 7th in efficiency.
In the six years Casey has been the head coach of the Raptors, the team has finished an average of 14th in the NBA in defensive rating, with the 2016/17 season being their best result of 8th. These are certainly good results based on where the team was when he took over, though if you are not coaching much on the other side of the ball, one may expect a little more than a top third ranking.
Casey has stressed nothing but defense since he came to the Raptors, both in the media and to his team. In his post game press scrums, the emphasis is put on defensive errors, while offensive struggles are often just the result of an “off night.”
If you listen to some of the things he and his players say in the media, it sounds like he has relinquished offensive strategy to the players themselves. DeMar DeRozan did an interview with NBA TV in 2014 in which he said just that.
"“Casey don’t worry about nothing but defense. He lets us do whatever we want on the offensive end, as long as we play defense. As long as we stick to our principals on the defensive end, he gives us the freedom offensively to do what we want.”"
The right man?
It’s fair to question if Dwane Casey should be the head coach going forward, if this is really how the offensive side of the ball is treated by the Raptors’ head coach
Raptors’ President, Masai Ujiri, made it clear in his post season press conference, that the team needs a “culture change” if it’s going to get to the next level, and that change needs to start on the offensive end. Ujiri also said in that same press conference, as well as other media appearances since the end of the season, that he has confidence in Dwane Casey. Our current coach is going to get the opportunity to implement such changes.
The emphasis has to be put on the offensive end. The Raptors need to move the ball more, play less isolation basketball, and take more three-point shots.
Of course he can!(?)
Dwane Casey stressed in a recent interview with The FAN 590’s The Jeff Blair Show, that he is not a one-dimensional head coach, and that he and his assistants have the basketball knowledge to make the necessary changes.
"“I’m a basketball coach, I don’t just know defense. I’ve been in this league a long time and know the offensive game also. Nick Nurse is an excellent offensive mind, Rex Kalamian coached the offense at OKC…We’re basketball coaches, we know the game, we know which way the game is evolving.”"
This is going to be an interesting offseason for the Toronto Raptors, maybe the most important in franchise history. If they decide to bring the core of their team back, which many think is likely, then the culture change Ujiri is looking for has to come from within. The change to a more pace and space ball movement style of basketball has to be implemented by an offensively unproven head coach and a roster whose stars rely on a mid-range isolation game.