First Dwane Casey.
Then DeMar DeRozan.
And then Bismack Biyombo.
Okay, we’re not sure about the other two, even though the Toronto Raptors are expected to retain DeRozan (player option) once he enters free agency. But they don’t need to worry about losing head coach Dwane Casey anytime soon.
Per ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
Masai Ujiri said this week Dwane Casey's extension would get done in Toronto's "sleep." Sources say they're indeed progressing toward a deal
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 1, 2016
Dwane Casey extension talks began in earnest this week and, while no deal done yet, there's optimism in Toronto it'll happen by week's end.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 1, 2016
This is well-deserved news for Casey, the gravity of which cannot be understated given all the other coaches who have lost their jobs over the last few months. Casey helped coach the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals, and while they didn’t really put up too much of a fight against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won each of their four games by an average of 28.5 points, they are a team that’s on the right track.
General manager Masai Ujiri knows this. The team isn’t good enough to beat the Cavaliers, but there is a strong core in place, one the Raptors will look to build upon this summer, through the draft and free agency.
In the meantime, the Raptors don’t face any imminent threats to their reign as the East’s second-best team. The Boston Celtics are forever looming, but still need a legit superstar. The Miami Heat are always a threat, too, but team president Pat Riley needs to inject one more transcendent player into his current core before they can truly rival the Cavaliers.
That leaves the Raptors sitting pretty. The No. 2 spot in the East is theirs to lose. And there’s no point ignoring the job Casey has done at the helm in recent years. The players are responding to him, he has helped get the most out of Kyle Lowry, Biyombo and DeRozan, and it’s clear that, when given enough talent, he is a coach capable of leading a genuine contender.
