Coach of the Year
Yesterday was a veritable roller-coaster ride for Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey. As expected, his first visit to the Scotiabank Arena since he was booted out of Toronto Raptors territory produced mixed emotions. For five years, The North was his home, and he led it — and, just as crucially, its charges — to improvements season after season. For all the strides he made, however, he couldn’t solve the LeBron James puzzle in the playoffs, where the triumphs truly counted, and the perceived ceiling under this watch sent him packing.
To be fair, the Raptors did acknowledge Casey’s contributions in pregame interviews, as well as in a video tribute during the first time out. Nonetheless, they clearly wanted to send a message that they’ve moved on, and are, in fact, all the better for doing so. Even as they sported a leagueleading 12-2 slate heading into the contest, they aimed to prevail by way of punctuating their break from his dispensation. Their objective: to show all and sundry that erstwhile assistant Nick Nurse was doing even more wonders in his stead.
Needless to say, Casey likewise meant to convey his thoughts about the divorce through the Pistons’ performance. And, to their credit, they played to their potential, with top dog Blake Griffin proving particularly productive; he put up 30 (on 13 of 23 shooting from the field), 14, and three over 40 minutes for a plus-six rating. True, they remain a work in progress, just as capable of stringing together triumphs as setbacks. If there’s anything yesterday showed, however, it’s that the five-time All-Star relishes, and deserves, his high-usage role as point forward; he’s exactly what DeMar DeRozan used to be for the Raptors, but with more versatility.
All told, yesterday couldn’t have turned out better for Casey. After touching base with the Raptors anew, he emerged with a win crafted to instill maximum heartbreak for the latter. A last-second shot following a spirited rally from 19 points down secured the outcome for the Pistons, who clearly spared no effort in their desire to gift him with good vibes. It was their first in seven — and just the third in 12 — contests against the hosts. Most importantly, it was his first. There will be more encounters in the horizon, but it served his purpose. He’s reigning Coach of the Year for a reason, and he proved it.
All told, yesterday couldn’t have turned out better for Casey. After touching base with the Raptors anew, he emerged with a win crafted to instill maximum heartbreak for the latter. A last-second shot following a spirited rally from 19 points down secured the outcome for the Pistons, who clearly spared no effort in their desire to gift him with good vibes. It was their first in seven — and just the third in 12 — contests against the hosts. Most importantly, it was his first. There will be more encounters in the horizon, but it served his purpose. He’s reigning Coach of the Year for a reason, and he proved it.