‘Culture reset’ paying huge dividends for NBA East-leading Raptors
TORONTO — When Masai Ujiri cryptically said the Toronto Raptors needed a “culture reset” after they were unceremoniously bounced from last year’s NBA playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers, speculation abounded as to what exactly the team president meant by that phrase.
It wasn’t a coaching change. Ujiri put that notion to rest quickly by committing to head coach Dwane Casey for a seventh season.
Forget about a roster shakeup. The Raptors signed point guard Kyle Lowry and power forward Serge Ibaka to multi-year deals, meaning the core, including shooting guard DeMar DeRozan and centre Jonas Valanciunas, would remain intact.
Ujiri made it clear things needed to change in Toronto. However, sticking with the same personnel that put together back-to-back 50-plus win seasons but couldn’t get it done against the NBA’s elite in the playoffs caused skeptics to predict a similar fate for the Raptors heading into this season.