Raptors Discussion: v97 Raptor's 2024-2025 - Training camp begins Oct. 1
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Josh Lewenberg: Nick Nurse firing indicates Raptors are ready to move past their championship glory | TSN
Memories of the Raptors’ remarkable 2019 title run will live on forever, as will Nick Nurse’s contributions to it, but the Raptors are no longer a championship organization. As tough as it was to move on from Nurse, who was relieved of his duties as Toronto’s head coach on Friday, the decisions...
www.tsn.ca
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Raptors Insider: Anger over young players benched. A rift on coaching staff. Behind the scenes on a season that went off the rails
Amid the troubling signs, the question in hindsight might be whether firing Nick Nurse should have been done earlier in an attempt to salvage season.
www.thestar.com
Coaching dysfunction
If rosters are a delicate balance of personalities and egos, so too are coaching staffs.
There was some internal conflict in the Raptors staff — Nurse and Earl Watson were never going to pal around or hang out away from the arena or practice facility — and it wasn’t a huge issue, but it was a thing people around the game noticed.
It’s not to say Watson undercut Nurse at every chance — we didn’t see that day to day — and it wasn’t as if they never spoke. But it was another layer that grew thicker as the season went on.
There were people outside the organization — all with agendas, so things had to be taken with a grain of salt — who were promoting Watson (33-85 record as a head coach in Phoenix) as a mid-season replacement for Nurse. Texts would arrive unsolicited from people away from the team. A deeper investigation would show that, sure, there were creative differences, but it wasn’t tearing anything apart and sometimes creative differences can be good things.
Good on Ujiri and Webster for ignoring the noise. But relationships matter and the Nurse-Watson commingling was just another factor in a long list of factors that led to Friday’s move.
Dr.Funk
Registered User
- Jul 2, 2004
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Good. I didn't want him.
I bet this is a blow to Nick Nurse though. I bet he thought he had a good line to that job.
thewave
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- Jun 17, 2011
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Masai should have fired Bobby and stepped down himself after that brutal deadline. Obviously he didn't have a clue where his team was in reality. Nurse didn't assemble the team, Masai and Bobby did and they kept pushing FVV and Siakam as if they were even close to replacements for Lowry and Kawai, give me a break.
Management made a fall guy.
Udoka was the kind of coach that would essentially let the Raps re-pivot. With him, you try to bring everyone back and hope that he develops a bench.
With him gone, I'd say that one of the many supremely talented guys who have coached in this organisation (Griffin, Stackhouse, and Mutombo) should get the job.
I'd still bring Fred back if he is willing, but put him in a system in which he can thrive.
The most important thing about next year's team is that it needs to put players in a position to succeed (no more trying to force a 6-9 setup).
Edit: I read the 10 thoughts and while they go out of their way to take jabs at Masai, the actual content very clearly levels this one on Nurse.
Instead of saying that everyone needs to get better at shooting 3s and we have to give the coach 3s, why don't we play closer to our strengths.
We took the most shots in the league by a massive margin. If the team turns some of the 3 point shots into higher percentage 2s, we still do significantly better.
They talk about Scottie not being aggressive enough, but running plays that force him inside the paint where you can feed him is likely the way to build up his aggression. Instead of doing that, we gave him the ball with a defender in his face and said be aggressive.
With him gone, I'd say that one of the many supremely talented guys who have coached in this organisation (Griffin, Stackhouse, and Mutombo) should get the job.
I'd still bring Fred back if he is willing, but put him in a system in which he can thrive.
The most important thing about next year's team is that it needs to put players in a position to succeed (no more trying to force a 6-9 setup).
Edit: I read the 10 thoughts and while they go out of their way to take jabs at Masai, the actual content very clearly levels this one on Nurse.
Instead of saying that everyone needs to get better at shooting 3s and we have to give the coach 3s, why don't we play closer to our strengths.
We took the most shots in the league by a massive margin. If the team turns some of the 3 point shots into higher percentage 2s, we still do significantly better.
They talk about Scottie not being aggressive enough, but running plays that force him inside the paint where you can feed him is likely the way to build up his aggression. Instead of doing that, we gave him the ball with a defender in his face and said be aggressive.
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Team needs a rebuild. NBA is about offense these days. And when your half court offense is horrible, you're going nowhere. The best talent is most easily acquired in the lottery. Stop avoiding the reality.
Inside Nick Nurse’s Firing with Michael Grange | The Raptors Show With Will Lou - April 24
SPORTSNET
Streamed live 21 hours ago
Join William Lou and Alex Wong as they go over the latest Toronto Raptors news and notes LIVE
Patrick Mutombo - The Journey of an Artist On and Off the Court
NBA Coaches Association
November 21, 2019
Defending NBA Champion and Raptors Assistant Coach Patrick Mutombo shares his journey, love of painting and how the connections he develops with his players not only allow him to impact their lives, but also helps him become a better leader.
Chris Boucher says ‘everybody’ off Raptors bench should have played more
Yahoo Sports Canada
April 25, 2023
On the latest Hustle Play, Chris Boucher explains why he thinks players off the Raptors bench should have received more playing time throughout the season. He also weighs in on Masai Ujiri saying he disliked watching the Raptors. Full episode will be posted on Wednesday.
thewave
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- Jun 17, 2011
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Won once with a top 5 in the league and thinks he can do it again without one. He is crazy and so is ownership if they agree.
Masai has lost it if he thinks he can win with this group. The shine is starting to come off his brightness. This team would better off rebuilding, you have guys like OG who wanted out because they wanted a bigger role. You have a guy like Fred who openly called out Scottie. The bench depth was a failure that’s on Masai. Like this team is a mess. If Masai thinks he can compete in the East then it’ll for the play in again. Major changes need to happen… personally I’d hire Stackhouse as the head coach if this team was rebuilding. If they’re going get stuck in mediocrity then yeah Griffin is the guy to hire cause he knows most of the group
I just really struggle with Masai’s idea that this team can do anything just because he thinks the East has parity. Weak argument… either you’re building up or going for the title, the middle ground is the worst place to be and that is exactly where we are. I just have a feeling eventually Masai is going to bail and take a major job somewhere else. Seems like he hasn’t done squat with this team since 2019
We went from winning a title to losing our bench depth and got nothing back, to trading back to back 1st round picks for Poeltl and Thaddeus Young…and Masai then fires Nurse but then what’s the plan? We still need a bench, we need way more shooting and someone who can create their own shot
I think you are mis-hearing his comments.
This team could re-tool and go for it, but it depends on developing a bench (Masai keeps bringing in guys who could develop into bench pieces and Nurse refused to play them because they aren't solid pieces now).
HamiltonNHL
Resigning Marner == Running it back
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Top players don’t want to play for the Raptors.
After winning a ring, we couldn’t attract someone to bring it back.
Now, it’ll never happen.
Rebuild and draft is our only option.
After winning a ring, we couldn’t attract someone to bring it back.
Now, it’ll never happen.
Rebuild and draft is our only option.
Signing a bench is only possible if you have a top 5 player.
Otherwise, developing a bench is the way to go.
I have no problem with the idea of moving some pieces, but this isn't a league where you "rebuild" to the extent that NHL teams do.
A rebuild for the Raptors would mean finding a replacement for GTJ, OG, and possibly FVV (losing these three automatically forces a system switch).
GoonieFace
Registered User
They really need to tank next year so they don’t lose that top 6 protected pick.
But knowing Masai, who has seemed to have lost his mind, they will be a middling team without a first rd pick again.
But knowing Masai, who has seemed to have lost his mind, they will be a middling team without a first rd pick again.
