In early May, word broke that Dwane Casey was named National Basketball Coaches’ Association Coach of the Year but, days later, that particular announcement wasn’t enough to save his job with the Toronto Raptors. Since then, Casey has landed on his feet with a lucrative deal to lead the Detroit Pistons as the franchise’s head coach but, before his new endeavor begins in full, the 61-year-old veteran notched one final recognition for his work north of the border.
Casey was named as the 2018-2019 NBA Coach of the Year during Monday’s NBA Awards Show, edging out Utah’s Quin Snyder and Boston’s Brad Stevens for the annual honor.
The 2017-2018 NBA Coach of the Year is… Dwane Casey! #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/xIcQA11UPO
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2018
Casey offered up a speech that was all class, thanking his Raptors players and also noting the elephant in the room which was his firing and subsequent hiring in Detroit.
"All the players in Toronto in the past four or five years… I'm so proud of them." – Dwane Casey on being named the 2017-2018 Coach of the Year #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/fdNS1VNR7E
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 26, 2018
Given the overall weirdness and strange timing associated with his exit, many are certainly happy to see Casey’s work recognized. After all, he led the Raptors to a .573 winning percentage over the course of seven seasons and, if not for the mere presence of LeBron James, it is safe to assume that Toronto’s 59-win performance this season would have been enough to save his job with the Raptors.
Fortunately, Casey will have the opportunity to continue to prove his coaching acumen moving forward in Detroit but his performance in Toronto is something that voters certainly appreciated.
