Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey: ‘People Know Who We Are’ After Winning Division
Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey is getting ready for the opening game tonight against the Atlanta Hawks. This will be the first game for the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and based on how well the team did last year, the city of Toronto is super excited about this upcoming season. Last year, the Raptors were just points away from moving on, but they had to settle with being Atlantic Division champions. And this was clearly a heartbreaker for Dwane Casey.
But it sounds like Dwane Casey knows that the expectations for his team are huge, especially when it comes to the growing fan base in Toronto. This morning, Dwane Casey and his top players, DeMar Derozan and Kyle Lowry, offered up some comments on how they are approaching this upcoming season.
According to new tweets, Dwane Casey revealed that he knows that people will be seeing the team as a potential threat, but he is determined to defend the Atlantic Division champions title. And the team is determined to make it even further this year. Comments made by Dwane Casey were captured by Toronto News outlet CP24.
Casey says the Raptors won’t be able to sneak up on anyone this year. “When you win the division people understand who you are,” he says.
— CP24 (@CP24) October 29, 2014
“We are a good team and I think we are going to defend the division (title),” Casey says.
— CP24 (@CP24) October 29, 2014
“We know who can do what and where everyone should be,” Casey says.
— CP24 (@CP24) October 29, 2014
“We have the best fans in the NBA and our players are feeling it,” Casey said.
— CP24 (@CP24) October 29, 2014
“I like our team. I don’t know if we are where everyone expects us to be right now, but I like our team,” Casey says. “We are on our way.”
— CP24 (@CP24) October 29, 2014
Over the past two years, the Toronto Raptors have grown in popularity in the city of Toronto under the direction of Dwayne Casey. Casey has been a coach for several years, but with a couple of trades, the team has grown tremendously. After they let go of Rudy Gay, other players stepped up, including DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. And Dwane loved seeing the young players grow on the court. The Raptors is still a relatively young team, but Dwane Casey is determined to make the players strong and determined.
Even though the Air Canada Centre didn’t sell out at games just a few years ago, their popularity has grown after Torontonians realized that Dwayne Casey’s team were playing to compete. According to the Toronto Star, there have been speculations that the Raptors could become more popular than the Toronto Maple Leafs. And in terms of winnings, the Raptors do have a more exciting record, partially thanks to Dwane’s coaching team.
“A lot of (the popularity) is driven by the fact that this is the first generation of kids who’ve grown up with a team in the country,” says Dan MacKenzie, vice-president and general manager of NBA Canada.
Plus, rapper Drake – who is from Toronto – has given his image and backing to the Toronto Rapters. During home games, he can often be seen sitting next to Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey, giving high-fives to the team members as they come off the court. And while Dwane is determined to keep his players focused, it is no secret that fans love Drake’s presence at the games. According to the Inquisitr, Drake recently gave out lint rollers at one of the home games.
Do you think Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey is right that the team will defend the Division champions title this year?
[Image via Facebook]
