Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is happy to be in an ideal situation with one of the best organizations in basketball this year. Nurse was hired in back in June, after the the team decided to part ways with Dwane Casey.
Casey led the the Raptors to a 59-23 record, earning them the best record in the Eastern Conference last season. His firing was seen as very controversial, as he named Coach of the Year this summer. Ultimately, the Raptors were fed up when they were swept by LeBron James in the playoffs yet again, despite their impressive regular season success.
From Michael Grange of Sportsnet:
“I understand how fortunate I am here, to have this city, this organization, these players, these fans,” Nick Nurse was saying during an interview before training camp opens in Vancouver on Tuesday. “I mean, this an unbelievable job for anybody and to be a first-time guy? I understand that I’m very fortunate that the chips fell this way.”
Nurse has been an assistant coach for the Raptors since 2013. He's familiar with the system, and has history with the players, making him one of the top options to replace Casey. The Raptors have had plenty of great regular seasons, but they hope Nurse can provide the change needed to promote postseason success.
The Raptors have not reached the NBA Finals once in their 23-year history. They recently traded their franchise player DeMar DeRozan away to bet the house on Kawhi Leonard. All of Toronto will have their eyes on Nick Nurse to see if he can fill Coach of the Year shoes.
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