Casey on board with NBA officiating project

Raptors’ coach takes part in grading initiative

You could not put a microphone on Dwane Casey during a regular season NBA game. Certainly not one that he is coaching.

His determination to get every call and every advantage possible for his team would have too many believing he actually had hate in his heart for every NBA official out there.

That, of course, is not the case.

While Casey is a veteran of the sideline game where it relates to game officials, the fine line he rides pleading for calls or critiquing others while trying to avoid technicals from thinner-skinned officials, the optics, and yes even the raw audio, might suggest one thing when he actually has plenty of respect for a lot of the NBA officials currently employed.

“I still say we have some of the greatest officials in the world,” Casey said Friday following shoot-around. “They do a great job. We all can get better. I think that is what the league is trying to do is make sure we keep improving and not just stay status quo or be satisfied.”

Under the guiding hand of president of league operations Byron Spruell, the league is taking a hard look at the level of officiating in the game and leaving no stone left unturned.

Casey, for instance, now spends part of his post-game every night texting his opinion of the job that particular night’s officiating crew did in his game.

Officials likewise have their own report. Both are sent into the league offices and examined in order to make improvements wherever possible.

“I think Spruell (who was appointed in June) is doing a good job of really trying to hold all of us accountable — coaches and officials,’’ he said. “How do you think? How do you grade officials after each game?’ I think it’s good. Now how we continue to get better as coaches understanding what officials are doing with their decisions and their rules and officials (likewise).”

Casey says he’s brutally honest in these post-game assessments. He tries not to let whether his team has won or lost that night affect his analysis.

“That’s what it’s for,” he said. “We would all be different if we just graded off of when you lost. I try to be critical or give guys good grades when we lose or when we win.

“Again, most of the games don’t come down to officiating. Maybe an end-of-game call or whatever but the officials — usually when you go back and watch the film — have done a good job of making decisions and reading plays. Nobody is perfect but that is why they put erasers on pencils.” Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey supports the NBA initiative of trying to improve the league’s officiating.