Despite his exceptional accomplishments and status as one of NBA’s top coaches, receiving the Coach of the Year award in 2020 and leading the team to their first championship in 2019, Nick Nurse was let go. Although many championship teams have gone through ups and downs, some coaches have remained in their seats. Given Nurse’s accomplishments and the obstacles his team has to overcome, he deserved more time.
Post-Championship Era
It hasn’t been a good start for Toronto’s post-championship era. Kawhi Leonard set the tone by becoming the first player in NBA history to leave his team after winning the Finals MVP. The remaining core fought hard the following season (2019-20) and had a great year, led by All-Stars Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry, who helped the team finish second in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics eliminated the Raptors from the playoffs in the semi-conference round after seven games. Despite the great season, to the Raptors standards, the outcome was still disappointing.
The Raptors, like the rest of the world, felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic the following year. Due to Canadian laws, Toronto had to play the entire 2020-21 season in Florida—the only team in the NBA without home court advantage. Due to injuries, the team had a difficult year and missed the playoffs for the first time in almost 10 years. This was also Raptors legend, Kyle Lowry‘s last season with the team, which cemented a new era for Toronto.
Nurse gets the most of our his players
It wasn’t easy to watch Kyle Lowry leave the team in the summer. However, Scottie Barnes‘ capabilities restored faith among Raptors fans as soon as they saw him play. The former Rookie of the Year demonstrated his versatility, and Nick Nurse deserves much of the credit for giving Barnes such an opportunity.
Nurse has done an outstanding job in his time with the Raptors of getting the most out of each and every player. Coach Nurse coached Pascal Siakam to be named Most Improved Player, Second-Team All-NBA, and All-Star starter. Scottie Barnes won the Rookie of the Year, and Fred VanVleet previously made the All-Star team. Even Gary Trent has had one of his best seasons under Nurse. While OG Anunoby continues to showcase his offensive and defensive abilities. There aren’t many coaches out there capable of producing so many top-tier players.
Nurse is developing the national team
In addition, Nurse coaches the Senior Men’s basketball team for Team Canada and has assisted in the development of many Canadians. He recently agreed to an extension of his contract that lasts until the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. His influence and lasting contributions to Canadian basketball are unparalleled. Kyle Lowry, who Nurse helped develop into a Hall of Fame-worthy point guard, once said of the coach,
“We always had this same type of mantra about winning and understanding and trying to be innovative.”
The loss of Kawhi impacted team unity and identity
The loss of the Finals MVP and a Hall of Fame point guard harmed the team’s unity. VanVleet, Barnes, and Siakam competed to become the face of the franchise. With VanVleet’s contract year ahead, Siakam, a former Second-Team All-NBA player, and Barnes’ ascension, the team struggled to play well as a unit. Nick Nurse took the hit for the team’s inability to perform to Raptors’ standards. However, he cannot be held entirely responsible for their bad season. One could argue that management should have done more to assist Nurse by ensuring each player’s spot on the team and their future with the organization.
To say that Canadians will miss him is an understatement. Despite being fired too soon, Nick Nurse will be remembered as the first coach to lead the Raptors to an NBA title, making them the only team in NBA history to have two Coaches of the Year fired within six consecutive years. It’ll be interesting to see where Nurse coaches next and who replaces him in Toronto.
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