Raptors fire Dwane Casey
The Toronto Raptors fired Dwane Casey yesterday after the team was swept in the play-offs by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second straight season.
Toronto President Masai Ujiri said the move was a “very difficult but necessary step.”
The 61-year-old Casey led the Raptors to a franchise-record 59 wins and a top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time. He posted a 320-238 record in seven seasons and is the franchise’s winningest coach.
The Raptors won four Atlantic Division titles and advanced to the postseason five consecutive seasons. But Toronto could not get past the puzzle of the Cavaliers and LeBron James in the play-offs.
“As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level,” Ujiri said in the statement released by the team.
Ujiri thanked Casey for what he’s done for the organisation, saying Casey was “instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team.”
The move comes two days after Casey was honoured as coach of the year by the National Basketball Coaches Association.
Uriji and Casey met for two hours Wednesday, after which Uriji said the Raptors were “absolutely disappointed” at their play-off exit. He had demanded a “culture reset” last spring, leading a greater emphasis on ball movement, depth and 3-point shooting.
Kyle Lowry was equally dejected by the play-off performance, calling it a “wasted year” Tuesday when players were cleaning out their lockers.
“We felt like we could possibly make the NBA Finals,” Lowry said. “That was our goal.”