Dwane Casey may have led the Raptors to three straight division titles, but it seems that his job is on the line during Sunday’s Game 7.
The Toronto Raptors have been a solid Eastern Conference team the last three years thanks to dynamic play from back court All-Stars point guard Kyle Lowry and shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, as well as an impressive leadership from head coach Dwane Casey.
While Casey has probably earned the right to stay with Toronto beyond the 2016 NBA Playoffs, should his Raptors fail to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third straight season, he could be on his way out of town and the team could undergo a serious paradigm shift.
According to the Toronto Sun’s Ryan Wolstat, if the Toronto Raptors fail to beat the No. 7 seeded Indiana Pacers in Air Canada Centre on Sunday night, Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri may have no choice but to part ways with Casey.
Wolstat wrote “despite Ujiri’s pre-playoff vote of confidence and playing down of expectations, it is impossible to imagine Casey would be back, even though he deserves to be…if his team loses” on Sunday night at home.
Casey may not be the only Raptors casualty should Toronto fail to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday. Wolstat believes that DeRozan could prove too expensive to re-up with the Raptors, especially given his pedestrian play in the NBA Playoffs the last three years.
In the Eastern Conference Playoffs, there was not a team with more on the line than the 2015-16 Raptors. Yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers probably need to get back to the NBA Finals to keep their corps intact, but wholesale changes in the Raptors organization are seemingly inevitable should their persistent playoff failures seep into the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Toronto has little to gain and everything to lose in Sunday night’s Game 7 versus the Pacers.
For more 2016 NBA Playoffs coverage, please check out our NBA Playoffs hub page.