The worst-kept secret in the NBA finally came to fruition as head coach Tom Thibodeau was dismissed by the Chicago Bulls on Thursday morning.
This means the league’s best defensive coach is now on the open market and every team that either needs a new coach or a coaching upgrade will likely put him atop of their list.
So, how does this affect the Toronto Raptors?
Sportsnet NBA contributors Steven Loung and Jeff Simmons debate whether the Raptors should — or can — get involved in the Thibodeau sweepstakes.
Loung: To me, this is a no-brainer. Thibodeau is a clear upgrade over Dwane Casey. The Raptors should make a hard push to get him.
Simmons: That’s wildly unrealistic. I can’t see Masai Ujiri going down this road, especially after already committing to Dwane Casey. It would set a horrible precedent to change coaches now and would look terrible optically. Not to mention Thibodeau didn’t get along with Chicago’s front office, and has a reputation for being difficult to work with.
Loung: Ujiri has said he will try anything to win and a Thibodeau hire would definitely be a big statement. Besides, the Raptors appeared to tune Casey out during the season as they never showed any commitment to defence. Under Thibodeau and his patented pack-the-paint scheme, that won’t happen. So what’s more important, optics or wins?
Simmons: Sure, if all things were equal, you’d choose the better head coach. But that’s just not how things work in the real world. Plus, if the Raptors were truly interested in potentially hiring Thibodeau, given how obvious this firing seemed, wouldn’t they have waited before committing to Casey? And truthfully, the Raptors need to worry more about their personnel than their coach. Get Casey some players who can play his system!
Loung: I agree with you in regards to addressing the personnel (by the way, here’s a primer to help you out with that), but there really wasn’t a way for Ujiri to wait for Thibodeau since rumours of his impending firing have been dangled for the past couple seasons. Now that he’s out on the market, why not swing for the fences and really make a splash similar to the way the Toronto Maple Leafs just did with Mike Babcock? Casey was never Ujiri’s guy to begin with and turning Thibodeau into his guy would look a lot better if you’re still worried about the optics of committing to Casey only to fire him a few weeks later.
Simmons: You’re cold blooded, man. I get it. The Raptors need to get better on defence, especially since that’s Casey’s so-called area of expertise. But what you’re suggesting would be in poor taste. Ujiri is a man of his word and considers himself to be a man of integrity, and this would go against everything he stands for. I would totally understand if they evidently made that move, but it’s a total long-shot. You don’t want to burn bridges.
Loung: To quote the incomparable Al Davis, “Just win baby!” It may not be very realistic — or fair to Casey — but when a chance to get better comes around, you always take it. Or at least try.