Toronto Raptors Hire Dwane Casey
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Toronto Raptors have agreed on hiring Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey.
The Raptors recently narrowed down the search for head coach to Casey and Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank. It was suggested that Casey became the lead candidate right after the NBA Finals, as Dallas won the championship.
The Raptors, hoping to avoid three-peating as the league's worst defensive team, are mainly bringing in Casey for his defensive-minded approach to coaching.
Casey's last coaching gig didn't go very well, being fired with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the '06-'07 season with a team record of 20-20. The Wolves finished that season winning only 39 games. Casey has worked as an assistant under reputable NBA coaches Nate McMillan, George Karl and most recently Rick Carlisle.
Dwane Casey has been considered by many teams to fill coaching vacancies throughout the past two seasons. It was reported Casey met with the Rockets, Warriors, Pistons, Clippers and Hawks within the last two years.
Casey has a good coaching background, having coached college players in his tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats, as well as having coached overseas for a number of years in Japan. Casey is expected to implement defense within the young and athletic Raptor squad while maintaining a potent offense.
What are your thoughts on this decision?
