Toronto Raptors: Why Not Scott Brooks?

Masai Ujiri has already said that he plans on bringing current head coach Dwane Casey back next season. But it’s a long summer and there is undoubtedly going to be some major retooling in the painstaking process of trying to morph this Toronto Raptors roster into a legitimate contender in the East.

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That means looking at all options, including other coaches. Casey has done a solid job these past few seasons, manning the helm as the Raptors found their way to franchise records in multiple categories, none more special perhaps than the season-best 49 wins accrued this year.

Yet, after a semi-disappointing season (yeah, somehow it was) and a downright embarrassing playoff exit, it might be time for Toronto to take a critical look at its head coach and ask the question, “Can he take us any farther?”

That’s the same question that the Oklahoma City Thunder asked themselves when deciding whether or not they wanted to keep Scott Brooks as their coach for next season when OKC narrowly missed the playoffs after a season full of injuries and troubled narratives.

Unlike the Raptors, however, they clearly knew the answer before the season was done. As soon as was appropriate, they promptly fired Brooks and waited only a few days to announce that Billy Donovan, former coach of the Florida Gators, would take over in his stead.

Though he may no longer have been the ideal person in Oklahoma City, what he did for the Thunder during his tenure with the team is something that the Raptors badly require: a coach who can get the absolute best out of young talent and who is a fantastic teacher.

Just look at what he did for OKC. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are two of the game’s top 10 players, Serge Ibaka is almost All-Star worthy, Reggie Jackson killed it as a backup point guard until he wanted out, etc.

Brooks turned those players into what they are today. He may not be the coach that the Thunder need now that their players have reached their respective peaks and are ready to try their hand at winning a title, but he was a key cog in getting them where they are now.

In fact, it’s debatable that drawing the talent out of young guys is just as tough as actually bringing an already-peaked group of players to a championship.

OKC got exactly what they wanted out of Brooks. Toronto needs something exactly like Brooks. So again, why not seriously consider him? It seems foolish for Ujiri not to give him at least a look. There’s a reason other young teams like Orlando are so interested in him. They know what he can bring to a squad that’s sitting on the fence.

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Just imagine it. Toronto would finally have someone who could potentially bring out the best in Terrence Ross, a guy who has all the tools but is often mentally checked out. He could mentor Jonas Valanciunas even further than Casey has and likely wouldn’t bench him so often. And then there’s guys like Bruno Caboclo, who is still working off his baby fat.

There are no shortcuts to an NBA championship. The Raptors got strangely lucky in that Rudy Gay trade, gaining a bunch of parts that just clicked with the remaining Toronto roster. They spewed chemistry for a season and a half. But at some point, reality checks back in.

It’s here now. Not only do the Raps need to (at least partially) rebuild, they also need a coach who can give them a jump start. Becoming true contenders in the East nowadays is hardly an amazing feat, yet Casey blew that opportunity.

Brooks would make the Raptors into that contending team. He’d at the very least bring the talent hidden in Toronto’s budding gems to full flower. Maybe once that happens, the Raptors will decide to let Brooks go as well and search for their own Donovan to go the rest of the way.

But those days are a long way off. At the moment, Toronto sits on a wrung near the bottom of the ladder. It sure would be nice to have someone steady it while they climb.

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