By many accounts YOUR TORONTO RAPTORS have narrowed their Head Coach search to either Mavs Assistant Dwane Casey, or Celtics Assistant Lawrence Frank...For many of you to have the final 2 not have a name like Adelman, Van Gundy, or perhaps even a Shaw or Budenholzer (I was very hopeful that a guy like Mike Budenholzer from Gregg Popovich's Spurs bench would get a look) is disappointing/underwhelming, but it does look to me like the list does include a winner...I really like the idea that Lawrence Frank will be the next Head Coach in the T-Dot...
If you are creating a wish list for things you want the next Raps Coach to bring to the table, it may look similar to mine...I am seeing an Organization in desperate need of a culture change...Losing is an every day scenario for Raptors, and the team (and at some times the city/fans) has grown (way too) accustom to it...Excuses and same mistakes day-in, day-out is what we see from the Raps these days...The Bryan Colangelo era has been heavy with explanations as to why the club fails on a regular basis, but very light with actual improved results...Much (way too much IMO) is being made about what a nice guy Jay Triano is, but I submit to you that is more to do with the timing of him being relieved of his Coaching duties (after the season was over and Raps fans were removed from the nightmare of these past seasons), more than Raps fans taking themselves back to the past 2 seasons and re-living the horror/frustration/unacceptable play and results from Triano-coached squads...Little development, same mistakes repeated, uninspired late-game play calls were all too present in the Triano era...I want a coach that does not care what the name on the back of your jersey is, doesn't care what your salary structure is, doesn't care if you have or have not brought it in the past, doesn't care where you were drafted...I want a coach that wants the 5 hardest working guys on the roster to be the 5 repping the Raps on the floor...I believe Lawrence Frank fits the bill...I believe Frank will be a coach that is committed to Team D, and will play the 5 guys willing to put forth the necessary effort on the D end to compete on a nightly basis in the Association...
I am also looking for a coach with a history in the NBA...Again we see that Lawrence Frank gets a check mark in this column too...Frank served as Nets Head Coach from 2004 - 2009, and led the team to the play-offs 4 times...In the BC-era the Raps have won 3 play-off games (3-8), while Frank has 18 play-off W's under his belt...A bonus mark IMO goes to Frank as he is one of the rare coaches out there who would understand what the potential is for the Raptors in this city, and in this country...4 of Frank's 18 play-off W's came in a 2007 4-2 series win over the Raps...I have maintained for a while now that the city of Toronto is all dressed up with nowhere to go when it comes to their sports teams...Torontonians are dying to explode with passion and fan-atical support for one of their teams, but the winning in this city just has not been there...If you have ever been to one of the (rare) Raps home play-off games then you know that the atmosphere is electric...I have been there for LOSSES and I could not hear myself think...Remember the rep that ARCO Arena had in the early 2000's for the Sacramento Kings?!?! Toronto and the ACC is sure to be elevated to that elite level, but a MAJOR issue is of course that the play-offs games do not exist these days...Frank will surely have been struck with how special the Raps fan base is from that '07 experience...
The late-game plays "executed" by the Raps under Triano were lame at best...Either Triano and his staff were clueless on how to draw up last-minute plays, or they were good at it but lacked the respect from the players to be sure that they executed the instructions from the boss...Either way the results were laughable...Lawrence Franks has been known for very astute and creative last-minute strategies which could add immediately to improving the Raps W vs L success
The past 3 coaches for the Raps have had the job with Toronto be their first ever Head Coaching job...All 3 (Kevin O'Neal, Sam Mitchell, and Jay Triano) will never be a Head Coach in the Association ever again, so clearly 3 swings-and-misses...Frank does not seem like a risk to me like trying to unearth the next NBA great coach that just needs a chance (The Warriors recently went that route with Mark Jackson...The T-Wolves may be regretting their choice of Kurt Rambis...The next "up-and-coming" coach thing rarely works in the NBA)...
If you are Bryan Colangelo then I think your sense of urgency to get a legit NBA Head Coach who brings a legit resume to the table is high...BC's extension is only for 2 years with a Club Option for the 3rd year...If the results of BC trying to fix the mess that he made are not swift and obvious then there is no way MLSE exercises the 3rd year Option, and perhaps cuts ties with BC even sooner than that...I would bet $$$ that when MLSE was meeting with BC to grant him his contract extension that they were clear there was no way they were about to re-up with the same Management team that was responsible for these past few brutal seasons ie "BC, you may stay...for now...but let's be crystal clear in our expectations for the next Raps Head Coach...We INSIST that you make a significantly more inspired hire than you have in the past"
It may be perceived that me writing a blog entry about Lawrence Franks being the next Raps coach is me jumping the gun as he is not the coach at this point...Well consider me Bart Simpson and the "gun" is Springfield Gorge because I am jumping the hell out of it! I believe this hiring will be the best piece (only piece arguably) of good news for Raps fans in a long time...Lawrence Franks would be an inspired hire who has the skill set to be a legit answer to many of the woes for us long-suffering Raps fans...
Let's Go RAPTORS
craig.ballard@hotmail.com ...follow me on Twitter @craigballard77
