Friday 8 May 2020 12:43, UK
The Toronto Raptors have exceeded expectations enormously this season and their head coach is a key reason for that. Mike Tuck says Nick Nurse is the obvious choice for NBA coach of the year.
Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors have surprised a lot of people this season. I think Nurse is the obvious choice for Coach of the Year right now.
After winning the NBA championship then losing Kawhi Leonard last summer, there were no expectations for Nurse to pull the Raptors through this season. A lot of preseason polls had the team in the eighth seed or not making the playoffs at all. Against all odds, Toronto have really made something happen this season and a lot of it comes down to Nurse and the incredible team culture he has created within the Raptors organisation.
Nurse has proven adept at getting every player on the roster to buy-in and consistently give full effort. And he is doing it without a top-flight superstar. Kyle Lowry is an All-Star and Pascal Siakam is certainly a budding superstar but the Raptors really do not have a special No 1 guy like LeBron, Kawhi or Giannis. The Raptors' success so far this season is down to them being a collective unit.
Toronto have also withstood an insane amount of injuries this season. Lowry, Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka have missed a combined 81 games (per basketballreference.com) which would have killed any rotation but the Raptors overcame that adversity, that's a true testament to the team culture Nurse has instilled.
Look at how deep into his rotations Nurse had to go when those injuries were happening, calling on Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Chris Boucher and Matt Thomas. He showed has the ability to empower those guys and get them to play like they have something to prove. An undrafted guy like Terence Davis already looks like a future All-Star because Nurse has given him a chance and let him play to his strengths.
Man management is a skill all great coaches have; the ability to manage players' personalities and egos. You see that in Nurse. He has not shied away from calling guys out. Especially with the rookie guys and players who have come from the G League (something the Raptors' player development is becoming more and more well known for), Nurse has held them accountable and fast-tracked their NBA development.
The one thing we always say in basketball is that if a coach is yelling at you it means he cares! If you are off the coach's radar, he does not think you can do any better. Calling guys out is a way of inspiring them and holding them accountable to their potential.
We have talked before about how Nurse's journey to the NBA via Europe, the British Basketball League and the G League have shaped his coaching style. He is willing to try anything to win a game. The Raptors' 30-point comeback win against the Mavericks this season stands out. He deployed a full-court press to great effect, something you rarely see NBA teams do - it's more of a college or European defense. Famously, in last year's Finals, he had success with the 'box and one' defense against the depleted Golden State Warriors.
He is not afraid to be unorthodox or try different things and that has to be a product of the path he has had in the game. Being a player/coach, coaching overseas, coaching in the G League, having to fight his way up, he is not afraid to try anything.
He also comes across as just one of the guys and I think that's why players buy into him and why they like him so much. He is an authority but he is not an authoritarian. A real players' coach.
Nurse has been really media-friendly, too, and that certainly will not hurt his Coach of the Year candidacy. He comes off as a normal dude, he plays his guitar and he is super-laid back. The media just love him.
The Raptors' surprising success this season stems from Nurse not being afraid to challenge his players. He is not going to let guys shoot themselves down. He has demanded high standards throughout the roster and guys have risen to the challenge. There have been numerous moments this season when the big-name players have been out but the Raptors have been able to fill those gaps through individuals stepping up.
