Dwane Casey was regarded as one of the league’s best coaches this season, leading the Toronto Raptors to a franchise-record 59 wins and winning the Eastern Conference, cementing his case for Coach of the Year by season’s end.
However, once the Raptors were swept by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the second-straight season, the veteran coach seems to be back in a familiar position – the hot seat. Franchise stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are having none of it, though, and have recently voiced their support for Casey, according to Blake Murphy of the Athletic:
DeRozan says he’s never gotten involved in coaching/roster decisions. “I just do my job, and that’s to come back better…I never question anything else.”
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) May 8, 2018
“I been with Case 7 years. He put the trust in me, he believed in me, he let me be a 21-year-old kid, going out there, play freely. A lot of my success, all of my success, I’ve gotta credit to Case.” – DeRozan
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) May 8, 2018
Lowry on Casey: “I’ve been able to be who I’ve become with him. I always believe in him. I believe he’s one of the best coaches out there.”
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) May 8, 2018
Casey has been both DeRozan and Lowry’s only coach in Toronto, so it’s no surprise that the All-Stars have voiced support for their longtime coach. Casey has been the coach of the Raptors for nearly seven seasons now, currently in the midst of a three-year, $18 million extension signed in 2016. He’s led the team since the lows of the post-Chris Bosh era and has stuck around long enough to see the team at its peak; but after another embarrassing playoff loss at the hands of the Cavaliers, it will be interesting to see if the franchise decides to keep Casey around – regardless of what the team’s stars think.