What can Dwane Casey make out of the Raptors?

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After a whirlwind summer in which the Toronto Raptors dismantled their bench and parted ways with their longest-tenured player, one constant remains.

For the fifth straight season, Dwane Casey is still the head coach.

General manager Masai Ujiri's decision to retain Casey was understandable, but it certainly wasn't popular. Public sentiment swung against Casey following the Raptors' first-round sweep at the hands of the Washington Wizards.

For one reason or another - narrowly focused isolation schemes, the Raptors' haphazard defensive schemes, James Johnson's playing time - fans wanted Casey axed. After yet another embarrassing first-round defeat, the Raptors had the chance to throw a scapegoat to placate a growingly impatient fanbase. Casey seemed like the logical choice.

But Ujiri didn't cave to those demands. Save for some minor shuffling within the assistant coaching ranks, Ujiri spared the coaching staff. Instead, he brought in gritty two-way players who fit Casey's preferred hard-nosed style.

Defensive stalwarts for a defense-first coach

Defensive toughness was the commonality of the Raptors' moves this offseason. Their key additions in Cory Joseph, DeMarre Carroll, and Bismack Biyombo all made their mark in the league as defense-first scrappers. These are the type of players that fit Casey's rock-pounding brand of basketball.

Meanwhile, Ujiri jettisoned the offense-first duo of Lou Williams and Greivis Vasquez, while allowing a physically broken Amir Johnson to walk in free agency.

The aim, undoubtedly, was to improve upon the Raptors' ghastly defensive rating of 107.7, which ranked 25th in the NBA last season. To that end, Ujiri addressed the team's two biggest weaknesses: perimeter defense and shot-blocking.

In addition to new personnel, the Raptors will also shuffle their defensive schemes. Last year, the Raptors employed an aggressive defensive set-up that asked their bigs to hedge high. The strategy was valid, but the Raptors didn't have the personnel to run that type of defense. In particular, 7-footer Jonas Valanciunas - who lacks foot speed, although he's working on changing that this summer - was constantly caught behind the play.

(Courtesy: NBA.com)

Instead, the Raptors will play a more conservative defense this season. Bringing in former Chicago Bulls assistant Andy Greer was a step in the right direction, as Greer logged decades under the Tom Thibodeau-Jeff Van Gundy coaching tree. Expect a more traditional defensive role for the Raptors' bigs this season, where they stay in the paint instead of venturing out to the perimeter.

The Raptors set out to fix their defense this summer, and while the core pieces remain in place, Ujiri stockpiled enough pieces to right the ship. Now it's on Casey to find a palatable solution to his team's biggest problem.

Getting creative on offense

Make no mistake about it, the Raptors set a franchise-high in wins last season on the strength of their fifth-ranked offense.

However, success didn't preclude detractors, and for good reason. The Raptors ranked 22nd in assists, which coincided with them running the fourth-most isolation plays per game.

The Raptors ran so many isolations that it even prompted Williams (pictured above) to seek out the "free-flowing" haven of the Los Angeles Lakers (who ranked third in total isolation plays).

No longer is the Raptors' offense "plug-and-play" as it was last season.

With the departure of Williams and Vasquez, Casey will have to get more creative with his playbook. Carroll and Joseph are certainly capable offensive contributors, but they found success playing in two of the most pass-heavy systems in the league between the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks. They're at their best when they play within the rigid constructs of a meticulously crafted scheme.

Therefore, it's on Casey and assistants Nick Nurse and Rex Kalamian to revamp the team's entire offensive identity. Instead of skewing heavily toward perimeter players creating their own shots, the Raptors will have to mine offense out of heady passing and smart off-ball movement.

Casey will still have the same core players to work around. Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Valanciunas should hold steady as the top three options in the offense. The trio led Toronto to two straight top-10 finishes in offensive efficiency and they still represent the backbone of the Raptors' offense.

But Casey will have his hands full with making use of the rest of his roster. The Raptors lost a lot of playmaking between Williams, Vasquez, and Johnson. In lieu of viable replacements on the roster, it's on Casey to close the gap with a tighter and more innovative offensive scheme.

Ujiri put his faith in Casey this summer by keeping him on the staff and bringing in his brand of players. Having delivered a pair of Atlantic Division crowns, Casey carries a proven track record of modest success. But that faith is also a test - if he fails, this could also very well be Casey's last season with the Raptors.