The Toronto Raptors and Nick Nurse have officially split up. The team fired the head coach after missing the playoffs, ending a long tenure with the franchise as both an assistant and head coach.

The Raptors pinpointed several reasons why Nurse and the team should part ways, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Among them were the inability to develop bench players and his tendency to roll with short rotations.

“Raptors/Nurse were meeting regularly. Sticking points have been lack of bench development, a play style that yielding intended results but was overly taxing given minutes for starters & created problems in other areas. Desire for more structure and accountability a factor too,” writes Grange.

Nurse's decision to go with rotations for the whole season that teams typically save for the playoffs has worn down his key players and left others out to dry. Guys like Malachi Flynn and Dalano Banton have played only sparingly, limiting their ability to develop on the court. The fact that Nurse openly said that he wanted to take some time off away from the team during the season certainly didn't help.

In the statement announcing Nurse's firing, the Raptors said that they want to reset and refocus and thanked Nurse for his time leading the team.

“The decision to make a change like this is never arrived at easily or taken lightly, especially when it comes to a person who has been part of this franchise’s most historic accomplishments, and who has been a steady leader through some of the team’s most challenging times. As we reflect on Nick's many successes, we thank him and his family, and wish them the best in the future,” said Raptors president Masai Ujiri in the statement.

In his years as the Raptors' head coach, Nick Nurse posted a 227-163 record and helped the team win its first-ever championship. He was named the NBA Coach of the Year in the 2019-20 season and helped develop players like Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet.

In addition to finding a new head coach, the Raptors' front office will have to revamp the team and re-sign key players like VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr.