Head coach Dwane Casey is now in the hot seat after his Toronto Raptors were swept out of the playoffs for a second straight season by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Even after re-engineering a different offensive system to take the pressure away from his All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, both stars were flattened by a team that was already found a blueprint to take them out.
The Raptors have been rumored to have considered removing Casey from his duties after this season, having made progress, but not enough to where it counts.
During Wednesday's press conference, the man at the helm noted he's still the coach until told otherwise, but he had yet to get any assurance from team president Masai Ujiri, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
Speaking of their recent loss, Casey agreed with his center Jonas Valanciunas; who was benched in Game 4 — thinking that the gap between the Raptors and Cavs is closing and experience should make them tougher mentally.
Casey noted their loss was the result of a mental hurdle, one they couldn't overcome, The 61-year-old coach knows the avalanche of criticism that awaits him over the next few days, but is willing to take it on.
“It's part of the business. I take it. I'm a big boy,” said Casey. “I've been in it for years… It's part of the territory. I take it. I accept it. I'm not running from it… I'm an easy target… I don't feel sorry for myself.”
The Raptors will have to make some tough decisions, and unfortunately for Casey, a change of direction at the coaching level is a lot easier than revamping a roster from the ground up.
Follow Us
Subscribe
