Toronto Raptors: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Firing Dwane Casey

If you needed to describe the Toronto Raptors this summer in one word, it would have to be “bold.”

After yet another playoff disappointment, it was clear that there would be some repercussions. The Raptors were eliminated due to a lack of execution, not the absence of talent.

The impact LeBron James seemingly had on the Raptors went far beyond what he did on the court. It’s possible that he alone would have been enough to get by Toronto, even if it had played well. But after the collapse in Game 1 the team just seemed demoralized for the remainder of the series.

Fairly or not, the head coach typically gets blamed for the lack of execution. Dwane Casey helped the team buy in on both ends of the floor last season and bring the offense into the modern era.

There was ball movement and more consistent buy-in on defense throughout the season. Yet when tested, the team resorted back to its bad habits. DeMar DeRozan completely lost his composure during the series and the injured Fred VanVleet wasn’t able to step up in his absence.

The first step in Masai Ujiri’s efforts to reset the culture so history would stop repeating itself was to fire Dwane Casey. Shortly after being fired, Casey was rewarded for his efforts during the season with the 2018 Coach of the Year award.

The move signaled a significant shift in perception of the franchise. Fair or not, Casey was scapegoated for the failures during this era. With the Coach of the Year gone, the pressure shifted to Ujiri.

There are few front office executives with more security than Ujiri. The trust and goodwill he has built over his tenure have resulted in him being on of the most respected executives in the league. But when you make a move like this, the focus is on you to find a way to take the franchise to the next level.

Once the fire the coach card has been played, eyes inevitably turn to the front office. All subsequent moves will be met with more scrutiny until undeniable progress has been made.

Grade: B-