Dwane Casey has gone through quite an unusual experience over the past month and a half.
The 61-year-old was fired from his role as the Toronto Raptors’ head coach after setting a franchise record for wins in a season with 59, he signed a five-year deal with the Detroit Pistons to become their new head coach, and then he won the NBA Coach of the Year Award at this year’s NBA Awards.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Pistons head coach joined the guys on OverDrive for the first time since he was let go by the Raptors and touched on a certain rumour regarding his relationship with Nick Nurse, winning the Coach of the Year Award under unique circumstances and more.
“It is what it is. Right now he’s an opposing coach, but Nick will do a good job. Again, he’d have to tell you I look at him like other coaches in the league right now, so there’s no ill feelings or whatever with him,” said Casey. “The only question I have is if you’re the coach and want to do something new, if there was any coach on the staff that had any suggestions I went with them. There was never a situation where I didn’t embrace new ideas, good ideas, that would help us win. I don’t think any head coach in this league is going to sit there and say this idea is gonna help us win.”
Casey continued on and went on to shoot down any of the rumours of him not being open to any new suggestions from his staff during his time as the Raptors’ head coach.
“Everyone had any opportunity to throw their ideas on the table, and if they didn’t then shame on them because I was an open book, an open sponge to newness. I am very flexible as far as that’s concerned and the connotation that I was hard-headed and stuck in my ways is so far from the truth because if you don’t grow with this game and be flexible in this game and evolve as the style of play in the league goes, you will never get anywhere and I think that’s what we did over the years was evolve and change and change the style of play to fit the team to fit the league to help us win the league.”
The Pistons head coach didn’t exactly throw any shade at his former colleague and current Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, but he also didn’t shoot down any of the rumours that their relationship is on a rocky road ever since Nurse’s promotion.
He also talked to the OverDrive guys about what it was like to accept the Coach of the Year Award under the circumstances and what the past month or so has been like for him.
The schedule hasn't been released for next season just yet, but the Raptors and Casey will see plenty of each other next season.
