NBA Coaching Carousel 2018

[Virtanen18]

I mean, if it was me running the Raps you might as well blow it the **** up completely. Sure, you might not get full value player wise for DeRozan/Lowry but try to move them along with Ibaka and Valenciunas, recoup as many 1st round picks as humanly possible and just flat out tank for the next 2-3 years until LeBron (hopefully) slows down, because you aren't beating him with DeRozan/Lowry. Ever.

It wouldn't be the popular thing to do, but the Raptors are stuck in purgatory right now. Arguably like the Leafs from 2000-2004, a really good regular season team that just couldn't get over the hump in the playoffs and then held on for far too long afterwards and became a poor team. I hope the Raps don't end up going down that road.

I'm not convinced the Raptors blowing up their best team ever assembled is really worth it. THey've got a good team right now and a good youth core coming off the bench. Enjoy it

I get the Casey firing for sure. Something absolutely had to change. Everyone keeps talking about the losses to Cleveland as if they didn't get swept by the Wizards and just barely scrape by Miami, Washington, Indiana, Milwaukee in the past. It's just unclear how much you can blame the coach vs the players

 

[Jack Straw]

Lloyd Pierce gets the Atlanta job. Best of luck to him, the Sixers will miss him.

 

[King Mapes]

I'm not convinced the Raptors blowing up their best team ever assembled is really worth it. THey've got a good team right now and a good youth core coming off the bench. Enjoy it

I get the Casey firing for sure. Something absolutely had to change. Everyone keeps talking about the losses to Cleveland as if they didn't get swept by the Wizards and just barely scrape by Miami, Washington, Indiana, Milwaukee in the past. It's just unclear how much you can blame the coach vs the players

I agree in not blowing it up but I disagree with best Raps team ever assembled. Would you take this team over the Vince-Tmac team? I wouldn't. If he didn't leave that was a favourite to win championships. This is a very good team that has holes and doesn't play well under pressure. I really thought the early 2000s we could actually win it all.

 

[Blitzkrug]

The problem is nuking your team to try and win the lottery isn't a sure thing. I can see the logic in the NHL since drafts tend to be a bit more bountiful in good prospects, but in the NBA it's a very risky gamble.

You have teams that have been pinning their hopes on the lottery for years only for it to lead to nothing but misery. Hell, the so called "process" struck out on of their 4 lottery picks (MCW/Okafor) and those were in the top 3.

Dumping DeRozan/Lowry might be a franchise alterning mistake. I can understand Casey, but people need to slow their roll.

 

[dahrougem2]

DeRozan and Lowry aren't leading the Raptors anywhere but purgatory. If they stay, they'll be a consistently good team but will never be able to get over the hump. LeBron will always beat them, and now they've got the Celtics and 76ers on the rise to deal with. Who knows how much better teams like Indiana and Milwaukee are going to be as well.

They aren't going to nuke the team, but that's what I would do. Casey got absolutely everything he could squeeze out of this roster. They aren't getting better, and the young players like OG, Siakam, VanVleet, Poeltl, etc aren't moving the needle for them anytime soon. They aren't game breakers.

 

[Blitzkrug]

DeRozan and Lowry aren't leading the Raptors anywhere but purgatory. If they stay, they'll be a consistently good team but will never be able to get over the hump. LeBron will always beat them, and now they've got the Celtics and 76ers on the rise to deal with. Who knows how much better teams like Indiana and Milwaukee are going to be as well.

They aren't going to nuke the team, but that's what I would do. Casey got absolutely everything he could squeeze out of this roster. They aren't getting better, and the young players like OG, Siakam, VanVleet, Poeltl, etc aren't moving the needle for them anytime soon. They aren't game breakers.

And the Raptors without DeRozan/Lowry also go nowhere, so what's your point?

I give them one year under a new coach to see what they can do. Because while obviously DeRozan/Lowry going cold come playoff time is a problem, Casey has never coached well in the playoff;

2013/2014: Lose a 7 game series to a geriatric ass Nets team that they should have easily won with their athleticism.

2014/2015: Swept by an inferior Wizards team in which Casey is outcoached by ****ing Randy Whitman

2015/2016: Somehow get dragged to 7 games by a Pacers team that could only boast Paul George and the Heat, led by a near fossilized Dwayne Wade. Take 2 games off of defending conference champion Cavs with an incredibly strong lineup

2016/2017: Let the bucks drag you to 6 games, then dismantled by the Cavs in a sweep

2017/2018: Let an admittedly underrated Wizards team (that team is probably anywhere from a 3 to 5 seed if they're healthy all season) take you to six, and then absolutely blown out by the Cavs again.

The fact the Raptors faced what was essentially the same team 3 straight times (not to mention they got a crappier coach in Lue in that span) and somehow looked worse against weaker versions of that team every go round is more a slight on the coaching than it is the players. 2 of those games were close too and were blown because Casey doesn't know how to match up effectively

 

[Virtanen18]

I agree in not blowing it up but I disagree with best Raps team ever assembled. Would you take this team over the Vince-Tmac team? I wouldn't. If he didn't leave that was a favourite to win championships. This is a very good team that has holes and doesn't play well under pressure. I really thought the early 2000s we could actually win it all.

These last 5 years has been their best run in franchise history. Other fans would kill for this kind of team.

Agree with Blitzkrug about blowing it up. They're gonna blow it up and pray for the lottery? Or pray they have a team that miiiiiight be better this one some day?

 

[dahrougem2]

And the Raptors without DeRozan/Lowry also go nowhere, so what's your point?

The fact the Raptors faced what was essentially the same team 3 straight times (not to mention they got a crappier coach in Lue in that span) and somehow looked worse against weaker versions of that team every go round is more a slight on the coaching than it is the players. 2 of those games were close too and were blown because Casey doesn't know how to match up effectively

What's my point? My point is you start the rebuild as soon as possible. You're not winning WITH DeRozan/Lowry, ever. It just isn't happening. So you might as well get them the hell out of Toronto along with Ibaka and Valenciunas and accumulate as many draft picks as humanly possible.

Coaching wasn't great during the playoffs, but no way do I agree that it's more on coaching than the players. DeRozan and Lowry **** themselves whenever they see LeBron, plain and simple. Casey could only work with what he had, and what he had wasn't good in the playoffs.

 

[King Mapes]

These last 5 years has been their best run in franchise history. Other fans would kill for this kind of team.

Agree with Blitzkrug about blowing it up. They're gonna blow it up and pray for the lottery? Or pray they have a team that miiiiiight be better this one some day?

Yes and no. Again, if T Mac stays him and Carter would have done damage and were built for the playoffs. That was a team capable of winning it all. The EC is an absolute joke so we can win the East but I wouldn't feel comfortable in the Finals. But imagine having TMac in his prime? Only reason this team did better was our guys stayed through their prime. T Mac left at a young age before hitting his stride. Those 2 in their prime would have been one of the best duos in a long time.

I'm not saying we don't have a very good team, we do. But I would take the early 2000s team over this.

I think if TMac stays one more year we likely win.

 

[Blitzkrug]

What's my point? My point is you start the rebuild as soon as possible. You're not winning WITH DeRozan/Lowry, ever. It just isn't happening. So you might as well get them the hell out of Toronto along with Ibaka and Valenciunas and accumulate as many draft picks as humanly possible.

Coaching wasn't great during the playoffs, but no way do I agree that it's more on coaching than the players. DeRozan and Lowry **** themselves whenever they see LeBron, plain and simple. Casey could only work with what he had, and what he had wasn't good in the playoffs.

Except for the fact Lowry actually played okay, if not well enough against Cleveland to win.

game 1: 18 points on 50% shooting (50% from 3 pts), 10 assists.

game 2: 21 points on 70% shooting (50% from 3), 8 assists

game 3: 27 points on 69% shooting (50% from 3), 7 assists

game 4: 5 points on 28% shooting (25% from 3), 10 assists

Casey's stupid ass constantly kept trying to run the offense through DeRozan despite it being apparent he was incredibly hot/cold all playoffs. If you run it more through Lowry and not trash heaps like him and Ibaka, that series is probably a bit closer. Take away Casey's brutal in game adjustments and that series could have very well been won considering they easily pissed away two wins because of it. Once they were down 2-0 there was no coming back. If it goes back to Cleveland 2-0 in favor of Toronto or even tied? who knows.

The Sharks never blew it up despite a solid 10 years of misery in the playoffs, why should the Raptors only after like 3 years of actual contention?

 

[King Mapes]

This Raps team actually reminds me of the Sharks.

I agree with Lowry. Why bash him? He actually played that series. Where was everyone else? That game 1 was easily ours for the taking. That was the turning point. Blowing the opening game that we should have won. Game 3 was winnable but wasn't ours, just could have gone either way. But blowing game 1 was huge. Was a huge let down which have carried over to game 2.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Except for the fact Lowry actually played okay, if not well enough against Cleveland to win.

game 1: 18 points on 50% shooting (50% from 3 pts), 10 assists.

game 2: 21 points on 70% shooting (50% from 3), 8 assists

game 3: 27 points on 69% shooting (50% from 3), 7 assists

game 4: 5 points on 28% shooting (25% from 3), 10 assists

Casey's stupid ass constantly kept trying to run the offense through DeRozan despite it being apparent he was incredibly hot/cold all playoffs. If you run it more through Lowry and not trash heaps like him and Ibaka, that series is probably a bit closer. Take away Casey's brutal in game adjustments and that series could have very well been won considering they easily pissed away two wins because of it. Once they were down 2-0 there was no coming back. If it goes back to Cleveland 2-0 in favor of Toronto or even tied? who knows.

The Sharks never blew it up despite a solid 10 years of misery in the playoffs, why should the Raptors only after like 3 years of actual contention?

The difference is the Sharks were a better team. The comparison is just faulty to vegib with. The Raptors will never beat the Cavs as long as LeBron is around, and now the Celtics/Sixers have risen and they're clearly better than the Raptors too. That doesn't even touch on the giants in the west. The Raptors really aren't that close to being actual contenders, just like the Hawks weren't a few years ago.

 

[Avs_19]

I'm not sure how much of an upgrade he'd be for the Raptors but he's a good coach. People will keep bringing up his record against LeBron but I think that should be low on the list of things to care about when evaluating Budenholzer for the job. There aren't many coaches out there who have success against LeBron in the playoffs and he may not even be in the East next year.

Budenholzer would obviously be a massive upgrade for the Bucks. They just wasted a year of Giannis' career with that Kidd/Prunty combo.

 

[dahrougem2]

Budenholzer to the Bucks makes a lot of sense.

I just don't see what the Raptors are thinking with Budenholzer, though, if they fire Casey for him. Lateral move imo.

 

[John Price]

 

[Blitzkrug]

And now the Raptors are up ****'s creek without a paddle.

Time to give Stackhouse a call?

 

[Terry Yake]

bud is a good hire for milwaukee

thought for sure he'd end up with the raps though

 

[tony d]

Was hoping the Raps would have got Bud as coach. Got to think they go after Stackhouse as coach now.

 

[Avs_19]

Good hire for the Bucks. He might not be perfect but it's a huge upgrade.

It sounds like Nick Nurse might be the leader for the Raptors job but that's just speculation.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Raptors Twitter congratulated the coach they just fired for being a COY finalist. Now I really hope he wins it just for that awkward speech.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Raptors Twitter congratulated the coach they just fired for being a COY finalist. Now I really hope he wins it just for that awkward speech.

I'm hoping the Raps' Twitter account guy or PR team went rogue, taking a subtle shot at Ujiri's foolish mistake.

Like Ujiri's furious the tweet was sent out because it makes him look even worse.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

And now the Raptors are up ****'s creek without a paddle.

Time to give Stackhouse a call?

That would be a great hire.

 

[tony d]

Stackhouse would be my choice for the Raptors next coach.

Here's an article on the Raptors coaching search:

Poll: Who will be the next Raptors head coach?

 

[Avs_19]

The Yahoo article says Casey is a strong candidate for the Pistons HC job as well.

The Battier news is good for the Heat since they're apparently grooming him for a major role in the organization. A lot of people seem to be high on him as a future GM or team president.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Casey's five year deal with Detroit is official.