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Toronto Raptors: Dwane Casey makes his case for Coach of the Year

By Paul Taylor

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors looks on in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 25, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors looks on in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 25, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Taking part in the NBA All-Star Game may just be the high profile event the Toronto Raptors’ Dwane Casey needs to highlight his Coach of the Year credentials.

When they announce the Coach of the Year at the end of this season, you know Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich and Mike D’Antoni will all be in contention. However, there’s every reason to believe Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey will also be in the running.

It’s not just that the Raptors have a winning record. After all, this was also the case in each of the last four seasons under Casey.

It’s more about how much Toronto is winning with the 60-year-old at the helm. The Raptors enter the All-Star break sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference, while also having the best home record in the entire league.

As a result, Casey will coach in the All-Star Game for the first time in his career. However, it’s good he gets the honor outright rather than by default over the Boston Celtics’ Brad Stevens, who coached in the game last season.

After the Raptors were swept out of the playoffs last season by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Masai Ujiri talked about the need to change the mindset of the team and take a different approach to playing. There were many who believed this wouldn’t be possible if Casey remained at the helm.

However, the Indianapolis, Indiana native has proved them wrong. Often accused of being stuck in his ways and unable to adjust, he’s done just that to spectacular effect.

This speaks volumes about both Casey and the players, who have a lot of affection for their head coach. Most impressive of all, was getting DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry on board with the culture reset.

The All-Star duo had a frustrating preference for ISO basketball, but while this is arguably the simplest play to run, it was only taking the team so far. The new offensive mindset involves them needing to move the ball more and essentially put more trust in their teammates.

As a result the Raptors have flourished, helped by the strongest bench in the NBA. And Casey deserves a lot of the credit for this, including finally working out how to use Jonas Valanciunas more effectively.

Three times under Casey, the team has set new franchise regular-season records for wins. Amazingly, they could do it once again this season.

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Everywhere you look on the stats sheet, the Raptors are thriving. They are averaging the third-most points in the league, while allowing the seventh-fewest.

In fact, Toronto is the only team to rank in the top-10 in both categories. As a result, they have the second-best point differential in the league, behind only the Houston Rockets.

There’s a long way to go yet in the regular season; the Cavaliers seem rejuvenated after their series of deadline trades, while the Celtics could easily rediscover their early season form. However, the Raptors are in an excellent position as they prepare for the post-All-Star break push.

Casey already owns most of the important records for a coach in Raptors history. This impressive list includes most games coached, wins, division titles and playoff appearances.

The only man who can still say he has something over Casey is Sam Mitchell, who won Coach of the Year for the Raptors after the 2006-07 campaign. However, there’s an excellent chance Mitchell will have to share that accomplishment by the end of this season.

Next: Chris Bosh wants to return, but at what cost?

What has impressed you most about Casey this season? How realistic is to expect him to be named Coach of the Year at the end of the 2017-18 campaign? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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