It’s official. The Toronto Raptors have fired head coach Dwane Casey. While he’s the 2018 NBA Coach of the Year, the reality is he just couldn’t get the job done in the playoffs. His Raptors continuously underachieved in the postseason, including some ignominious series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors were a -200 favorite heading into their series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to BetDSI Sportsbook, yet were swept out of the playoffs with ease. They’ve now lost 10 straight playoff games to the Cavaliers. And if it wasn’t the Cavs, it was some other team upsetting the Raptors. With Casey gone, who is likely to take over for the Raptors? Here are five options:
Mike Budenholzer
The Atlanta Hawks and Budenholzer parted ways, which means the Raptors could be interested. The former respected Spurs assistant and Hawks head coach has done some impressive work in his time. The Hawks overachieved during his tenure, going to the playoffs in each of his first four years, including the conference finals in 2015-16. As management became frugal and stripped down the Hawks roster, there wasn’t much Budenholzer could do. However, hand him the keys to a talented Raptors team and he might help them get over their playoff blues.
Jerry Stackhouse
One would have to think that at this point, Stackhouse is the favorite to land the Raptors head coaching gig. He’s been an assistant coach in the NBA (with the Raptors in 2015-16) and is the current head coach of the team’s G-League squad. He led that team to the finals in each of the last two seasons. He’s a coach on the rise and should give this team a shot in the arm.
Patrick Ewing
There’s still a lot to be determined as far as what Ewing brings to the table as a head coach but he’s an intriguing option. The Raptors need toughness and he brings plenty of it. In his first season on the job, he led Georgetown to a 15-15 record, which was better than the 14-18 and 15-18 seasons they posted in previous years. More importantly, he’s quite respected as a former NBA legend and as a long-time assistant in the NBA.
Stan Van Gundy
Van Gundy and the Pistons just parted ways. While he’s not the sexiest name on the list – he’s a retread – he’s had plenty of championship success with other teams. He struggled in Detroit but he did have many winning seasons with the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. He’s been to the conference finals or the championship round a total of five times (twice with Miami, three times with Orlando). The Raptors are right there and maybe Van Gundy is the guy who can get them over the hump.
Steve Clifford
Clifford is definitely not an option that will get anyone excited but he might deliver wins. Clifford couldn’t do much with the Charlotte Hornets but their roster was thin on talent. He has been a respected assistant in the NBA for a long time, so he will get another chance at some point. It’s possible the Raptors bring him in for an interview to consider him for the job.
