It didn’t take long for one of Nick Nurse’s former players with the Toronto Raptors to react to him becoming the next Philadelphia 76ers head coach. Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet quote tweeted the breaking news that the Sixers were hiring Nurse, clearly congratulating his former head coach with the Toronto.
After the Raptors’ season ended, it became clear that Toronto was going to part ways with Nurse. Fred VanVleet openly supported Nurse, saying that he loved playing for his coach. The Sixers hired one of the most coveted names on the market.
VanVleet’s NBA career took off when Nurse became the Raptors’ coach. VanVleet didn't start a single game during his first two years in Toronto. He averaged 2.9 points per game as a rookie and 8.6 points in his second season. With Nurse at the helm in his third year, VanVleet posted career-highs of 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. The guard was one of the Raptors' most valuable players in the 2019 NBA Finals.
Nurse led the Raptors to their first-ever championship as a rookie head coach. During its title defense, Toronto pushed the Boston Celtics to seven games in a second-round playoff series in the NBA bubble.
The Raptors have missed the playoffs in two of the last years. The Chicago Bulls eliminated Toronto in the first round of the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament.
There's a chance that VanVleet will also leave the Raptors this offseason. The point guard is headed for unrestricted free agency. There have been rumors that VanVleet could be a target of the Orlando Magic.
The Raptors turned down the chance to move VanVleet at the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
Follow Us
Subscribe
