Raptors' Dwane Casey hopes critics will motivate team
Coach says team gets no respect
One game into the Toronto Raptors' playoff series against Miami, LeBron James and some news outlets are already looking ahead to a Cavaliers-Heat Eastern Conference final.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey was less than pleased, but not surprised.
"I saw that. Like I've said, nobody respects us, everybody has written us off, and that's fine," Casey said. "The people in this building right now, and in that locker room over there, are the most important people to believe that. Hopefully our guys take that heart, and take offence to it. They're the ones who can do something about it."
The Raptors lost 102-96 to the Heat in Tuesday's series opener. Game 2 is Thursday in Toronto.
The Raptors are the favourites on paper, winners of five of their six last regular-season games against Miami.
James, whose Cavs topped Atlanta 104-93 in their opener, told reporters Wednesday morning he'd love to face the Heat in the next round.
"Naturally, of course," James said. "That's since I've came back. It'd be great to play against those guys in the post-season.
"Throughout my whole career, I've always wanted to go against [Dwyane] Wade in a playoff series. We've always talked about it even before we became teammates in '10. It's not been heavy on my mind, but it's crossed my mind throughout my whole career."
Wade, meanwhile, isn't looking past Toronto.
"You talk to me if we get four wins in this series, and I'll answer that question," the Heat guard said after Wednesday's practice.
The Raptors say they're used to being overlooked and written off.
"I'm sure we are looked at as the underdog, but we are the No. 2 seed," Kyle Lowry said. "We still have the confidence to win four games. But everybody has their own opinion, everyone has their own thoughts. Let ESPN talk about it. That's what they do, they have their opinions. We have our opinions, you guys have y'all opinions, it's opinions. They still have to beat us three more times."
Patrick Patterson said the lack of love for the Raptors around the league has been a constant in his three seasons in Toronto.
"It's something we face every single day and something that we're OK with because at the end of the day it's us in the locker-room versus the world," Patterson said. "We have no problem with that at all."