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Nick Nurse, the newly-minted head coach of the Toronto Raptors, reflected on what LeBron James' move to the Los Angeles Lakers in the West means for the East.
As reported by John Chick of The Score, Nurse admitted that he wasn't surprised by James' decision to go to the Lakers. Months prior to the big news, rumors circulated around like wildfire. And Nurse had a lot of friends who were at the center of such gossip.
Article Continues Below“You know, everybody talked about it a lot. And I dunno, I have a lot of good friends in L.A. that kept telling me it's a done deal for the last couple months, so I really wasn't that surprised.”
Now that James is out West, Nurse realizes that the East is up for grabs. For the past eight years, it was either the Miami Heat or the Cleveland Cavaliers who reigned supreme.
The Raptors, meanwhile, had always fallen short. Now, they are the looming favorites to come out of the East. But for Nurse, James' departure doesn't mean it will be easier:
“How does that affect us? You can't automatically say ‘jeez, we lost to LeBron every year, put us in the Finals,'” he said. “I think the competitive nature will spread across the East now. Now we gotta go out and do it.”
Will the Raptors finally capture that elusive Eastern Conference throne? Or will another superpower rise in the East? As Nurse said, it won't be automatic. He, together with the rest of the pack, need to work for every win.
