Former Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey may no longer be calling the shots for the 2019 NBA Champions, but a lot of fans still believe that he should be given credit for helping the team build a contender over the past couple of years.

Casey became the Raptors head coach back in 2011, but it wasn't until 2014 that the team had significant success under him. They made the playoffs multiple times and even had the best record in the Eastern Conference during the 2017-18 season.

Unfortunately, the Raps were not able to get past the Eastern Conference finals, which led to Casey being fired shortly after they were swept in the second round of the playoffs last year.

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Still, Casey was one of the best coaches the Raptors ever had. He's won 300-plus games with the franchise and was even named Coach of the Year in 2018. Although his shortcomings in Toronto will always be magnified when people talk about his legacy, there's no denying the fact that he played a significant role in making Toronto who they are today.

Since Casey's departure, Nick Nurse took over as the Raptors head coach. Meanwhile, the former quickly found himself with another team, getting hired by the Detroit Pistons to man the sidelines.

Casey understands that it will not be easy to start from scratch, especially when you were once a few steps away from winning a championship. But he has another opportunity to prove himself, and pretty much like what he did to the Raptors, Casey is willing to be patient until the Pistons become contenders in the East.