Sometimes there is nothing that can cure tension or uneasiness other than a change of scenery. Despite the Toronto Raptors shifting into gear since the NBA All-Star Break, there is still belief that the team and head coach Nick Nurse could be parting ways at the end of the season.
Rumors about Nurse leaving or being dismissed before serving the last year of his contract had cooled a bit since the Raptors (39-39) had surged firmly into the NBA Play-In picture. However, the former NBA Champion's future status North of the Border remains in heavy doubt for next season, according to some members of the press. There might already even be a leading replacement candidate.
“Then two of the league's senior scribes — Boston-based Steve Bulpett and The Toronto Star‘s Doug Smith — wrote pieces in the last week-plus about the chatter, which has pinpointed former Celtics coach Ime Udoka as a prime potential successor to Nurse and Houston {Rockets} as a possible next destination for Nurse,” NBA correspondent Marc Stein said.
Ime Udoka led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first season as head coach last year before being suspended and then dismissed for “violating team policies.” His name frequently came up after the Brooklyn Nets moved on from Steve Nash last November. As far as Nurse is concerned, the Houston Rockets are a young team who could benefit immensely from having a successful coach manning the sidelines.
As Stein reiterates, the 2019-20 Coach of the Year might be open to it as well based on recent comments he made.
“First of all, I think when this season gets done, we'll evaluate everything, and even personally, I'm gonna take a few weeks to see where I'm at, you know?” Nurse said. “Like you said, where my head's at. And just see how the relationship with the organization is and everything. It's been 10 years for me now, which is a pretty good run.”
That sounds like a man who has already cleaned out his desk and updated his résumé. This whole season has been mired in uncertainty for Toronto, with core players like Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby all being floated as possible trade deadline targets before team president Masai Ujiri decided to stand pat.
A surprise postseason run might be the only thing that could jump-start another honeymoon phase and prevent an amicable divorce.
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