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Will new Raptors coach Nick Nurse have positive impact?

By Jeff Borsuk

TORONTO, CANADA -APRIL 17: Head Coach Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors looks on as Nick Nurse speaks with Delon Wright #55 during the game against the Washington Wizards in Game Two of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA -APRIL 17: Head Coach Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors looks on as Nick Nurse speaks with Delon Wright #55 during the game against the Washington Wizards in Game Two of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Raptors roll out a new coach this season, Nick Nurse. Will he have an impact on the team’s success, or would the group succeed no matter who’s in charge?

The Toronto Raptors have moved off a proven commodity, a man celebrated with the Coach of the Year award in favour of his assistant to fill that hole. Dwayne Casey was shown the door and Nick Nurse promoted. In a move that has left many still scratching their heads, it begs the question, “Does coaching really matter in the NBA?”

The answer may depend on the team of study. A look at the previous iterations of the Cleveland Cavaliers would suggest that the athletes themselves are more valuable than the suits on the sidelines. The 2014-15 team, under David Blatt’s leadership, went all the way to the NBA finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors. The following year Blatt was fired mid-season and replaced by the current coach Tyronn Lue. The Cavs won the championship that year and have gone on to play the Warriors every year in the finals since. Because two different coaches lead the same franchise with very similar rosters to the finals, it may be necessary to consider another variable for success. Look no further than LeBron James. His impact is so great that even my Uncle Aaron may have been able to coach those teams to the finals. Uncle Aaron couldn’t name a Knick, but could recite every line from My Fair Lady.  

Golden State who have also been to the finals over that same timespan also help indicate that coaching may not be a significant ingredient in a team’s success. Steve Kerr has been the bench boss for the Warriors throughout their dynastic run, but did miss a great portion of games due to issues with his back. In fact, he missed 43 games of the 2015-16 season. In his absence, Luke Walton (then Warriors assistant coach, now head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers) was named interim head coach and started the year with 24 straight wins. The reins were returned to Kerr only after Walton earned a 39-4 record. One could argue that Walton himself was a magnificent coach, which is why the team was so successful, but on his watch over the past two seasons, the Lakers have finished with records of 25-56 and 35-47 respectively. This is more evidence to suggest that the players on a team’s roster are the ones who determine achievement and triumph and for the Warriors, having a lineup of all-stars has far outweighed any message or play calling from coaches.

Coach Pop orchestrates another playoff appearance

It’s easy to pick from the elite talent-laden teams to help frame an argument, but what about some of the others? Would Uncle Aaron have made the playoffs with last season’s San Antonio Spurs? Unfortunately, we’ll never know. Gregg Popovich, looked upon by most in the NBA as coaching royalty, took last year’s Spurs to the playoffs as a seventh seed. That isn’t impressive in itself until you remember that the team’s best player, Kawhi Leonard, only played 9 games.

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For the Raptors this season, it remains to be seen what influence new head coach, Nick Nurse, has to the fortunes of the team. He will be asked to take a team who finished first in the Eastern Conference and make them more successful. Judgement is reserved for the 2019 playoffs and the expectation that the Raptors compete in the NBA finals. After all, it was the team’s playoff woes that were Casey’s undoing and the impetus to moving DeMar DeRozan to Texas.

All eyes will be on Nurse, especially early in the season. His predecessor was excellent at managing players’ floortime in order to maximize production and give the team boosts as needed. Nurse was a part of that staff, which means he is well aware of Casey’s style. It also means that he was present to watch some head-scratching plays be drawn up at key moments of games. The truth is, even if Nurse does outshine Casey by bringing the best out of players, brilliantly forming lineups and running an inspired style of play, critics can always point to the team’s newest star in Leonard to diminish any accolades that Nurse may in fact have earned. However, none of that matters if the season ends with Nurse walking off the court holding the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

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