Raptors news: Sergio Scariolo interviewed, JJ Redick gets strong support

Now that the Toronto Raptors have interviewed JJ Redick for their head coaching vacancy, any possible hire could be on the table. This may include poaching a top European coach in Sergio Scariolo.

Sergio Scariolo, who served as a Raptors assistant under Nurse before going back to the European coaching ranks, was interviewed by the Raptors. Scariolo, who is currently coaching in Italy with Virtus Bologna, has been pulling double duty as coach of the Spanish national team.

When COVID-19 was raging, it was Scariolo who stepped up and helped the Raptors win a couple of games while Nurse was informed. The organization clearly respects him, but so does Real Madrid, who have been in talks with him for quite some time.

This would still be viewed as an odd choice by some. Not only will he turn 63 during the last few weeks of the 2023-24 season, but Adrian Griffin seems like a more robust choice if the Raptors want to keep the scheme the same. Nevertheless, Scariolo will get his chance to prove himself.

More Raptors news

• Richard Jefferson poked fun at JJ Redick, as the latter ESPN analyst has become one of the most discussed names in the Raptors universe over the last few weeks following his interview for the head coaching job. Jefferson kept poking fun at Redick during the Knicks-Heat game, calling him “coach” throughout the broadcast.
• Fellow ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins was a fan of the idea of Redick going to Toronto. While Perk did say that he would be a bit perturbed about the notion that Redick leapfrogged several coaches with years of experience to get the job, he did add that Redick “knows his s***” and would be a great basketball mind for the Raptors.

NBA news

• One of the Raptors’ biggest rivals has officially crashed out of the postseason picture, as two subpar games from Julius Randle and RJ Barrett helped the New York Knicks fall to the No. 8-seed Miami Heat in six games. Kyle Lowry is back in the Conference Finals for the third time in six years.
• The Los Angeles Lakers, riding a mercurial 30-point performance from LeBron James and 20 rebounds from Anthony Davis, put the finishing touches on an upset victory that knocked off the Golden State Warriors and put the No. 7-seed squad in the Western Conference Finals. Considering they started 2-10, this was a strong finish.