After a train-wrack of a post-season run, Dwane Casey's future with the Raptors was up in the air. Many suggested GM Masai Ujiri should terminate his contract and bring in a new coach. However, Masai was quick to announced that Casey wasn't going anywhere soon.
Coach Casey joined Sportsnet 590 the FAN's Brady and Walker program on Tuesday afternoon to talk about the disastrous post-season sweep against the Washington Wizards, what it takes to thrive in the playoffs, whether or not he was concerned about losing his job and what he would like the team to look like in the 2015-2016 NBA season.
"To get somewhere you have to go through something," said Masai. "Last year was a great story. We overachieved, kind of surprised everybody. Guys did an excellent job of staying together, and playing together and then this year, as the year went on we hit kind of hit bumps and roads, faced adversity and unfortunately, believe me, it went into the playoffs but again it gives us something to measure ourselves by, something to motivate us this summer to get ready for."
Casey said the playoff experience would play a crucial role during the team's summer training regiment.
"When we start preaching about, we're doing this for playoff basketball, doing this drills to get ready for playoffs, guys now understand the level you have to get back to and up to so the embarrassment and hurt we felt this year in the playoffs, every organization goes through it," said Casey. "We take couple steps forward, and get knocked half a step back. And this year we got knocked half a step back. It's going to a great learning experience for us to continue to grow and get better as a basketball team."
When asked about whether he was concerned about his job, Masai said he never was and said the team is take the right steps for a long playoffs run.
"I wasn't worried about my job, never have been, never will be," said Casey. "Masai has every right to look at the entire organization, (like) the coaching staff, and evaluate everything that we've done as a staff and as a team but I think, if we're all honest with ourselves, and look where we come from and look how the growth process is going, we're going in the right direction. I think it's what the evaluation process shows.
"Did we make mistakes as a coaching staff? Yes. Did we make mistakes as an organization and players making mistakes as players? Yes. We all do. We all are accountable for everything that goes on, but again, big picture, we're going in the right direction from where we started last year.
You can listen to the full audio clip here
What do you all think? Did Masai make the smart move by keeping Casey with the team?