Casey was fired two days after being selected by his peers as Coach of the YearNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Raptors President Masai Ujiri said firing coach Dwane Casey was the "hardest thing I've done in my life," according to AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA TODAY. Casey was the "winningest coach in Raptors history, as well as the longest-tenured." He was also "selected by his peers" as Coach of the Year. Ujiri said, "What an unbelievable human being. ... Nothing in particular that coach Casey did wrong, but I think it was time for this to happen" (USA TODAY, 5/12). In Toronto, Dave Feschuk wrote Ujiri as he announced Casey's firing on Friday "sounded as though he was delivering a eulogy." For all their "fondness for each other, and for Casey’s undeniable success, Ujiri often seemed convinced his coach was leaving wins on the table with in-game adjustments that came too slow or not at all." Ujiri and Casey, who was hired by former Raptors President & GM Bryan Colangelo, "lasted five years together" and worked out "better than anyone reasonably expected." It is "amazing Ujiri didn’t want to hire his own guy sooner" (TORONTO STAR, 5/12). Casey was fired "two days after winning" the coach of the year award and leading the Raptors to the No. 1 overall seed in the east. The Raptors’ "historic season came after Ujiri called for a 'culture reset' last off-season" (CP, 5/12). CBSSPORTS.com's James Herbert wrote in "many ways, Casey was a victim of his own success." He "helped the Raptors go from an irrelevant team to a very good one, which put pressure on him and the front office to make them great" (CBSSPORTS.com, 5/11).
BUSINESS DECISION? Former NBAer Stephen Jackson said of Casey, "He's a great coach but in some kind of way, coaches that go to another level, they find a way to get the best out of their stars" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 5/12). NBA TV's David Aldridge said, "The sentiment was, if they are going to keep doing this with this group, they have to make a change." He added Ujiri and Casey "had a strong relationship, but it was never Masai Ujiri's guy." NBA TV's Steve Smith said, "The way they lost and you're Masai, does (Casey) have these guys where they believe in him going forward that they can get over the hump? That is where they had separation" ("NBA GameTime," NBA TV, 5/11). Sportsnet's Tim Micallef tweeted Casey "changed the culture of one of the worst franchises in the NBA." SI's Michael McCann: "Firing Dwane Casey--the NBA's Coach of the Year--gives new meaning to the phrase 'being fired without cause'" (TWITTER.com, 5/11).
