The Toronto Raptors will bring back head coach Dwane Casey next season, as first reported by Mitch Lawrence of Forbes. The front office has suggested changes to his staff, according to the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons.
There was much speculation about Casey's future with the way his team's season ended. This seemed like a nearly impossible scenario back when Casey won the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month award in November and the Raptors kept rolling through December. They went .500 over the last 50 games of the regular season, however, and were swept by the Washington Wizards in embarrassing fashion in the first round of the playoffs. Toronto's extremely strong start meant it still easily won the Atlantic Division and finished with a franchise-record 49 wins, but those accomplishments don't feel especially significant because of the postseason failure.
After the Raptors were eliminated, Casey said he wanted to restore the team's commitment to defense and improve the ball movement on the other end. Toronto relied heavily on isolation and pick-and-roll scoring from guards Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Lou Williams throughout the season, but they couldn't deliver against the Wizards. While Lowry was playing at less than 100 percent, it looked like the Raptors' attack was not sustainable against playoff-level defense. Perhaps new assistant coaches can help the team figure out a more successful style of play.
It's fair to assume that, with Casey returning, general manager Masai Ujiri will try to shake up the roster. Williams, beloved big man Amir Johnson and several bench players are hitting free agency in July. While Ujiri has shown plenty of patience with team-building, it would be quite a surprise if he brought the whole band back again.
