Three takeaways from Toronto Raptors crushing Game 5 loss
Nick Nurse questionable decisions
Nick Nurse made a few questionable decisions that at least need to be examined. Having time to review each decision, makes it easier. Having hindsight gives us all the right answers. But there were multiple decisions Nurse made at the moment, which were wrong at the time.
Playing Patrick McCaw
There’s no excuse for Patrick McCaw seeing the court in a critical close-out Game 5. McCaw didn’t record a statistic during his time on the court but did manage to disrupt the team’s offensive rhythm, including passing up a wide-open three-point shot.
He was -3 in his 1:29 on the court. If Toronto doesn’t play him, it’s very possible they win or at least tie those minutes, and win the game.
Verdict: Bad decision
Calling timeout with three minutes remaining
With three minutes remaining, Toronto was on a big-time run and pushing the Warriors to their limits. They had all the momentum in the world when Nick Nurse called a timeout.
He took the stoppage with just over three minutes remaining to give the Raptors a rest. The timeout would have expired if Nurse did not call it at that time, and rather than lose it, the head coach decided to use it.
The timeout stopped the Raptors run and allowed Golden State to gain their composure. From that point forward, GSW went on a big run and won the game. The timeout didn’t cause the Golden State run, but it certainly wasn’t the right decision.
Verdict: Bad decision (but not cause for the run)
Not calling a timeout for the final play of the game
Toronto had the ball with 15 seconds remaining and a chance to win. In the final seconds, rather than taking a timeout and drawing up a play, Nick Nurse decided to let it play out. After generating a shot which ultimately got blocked, it’s fair to wonder if Nurse should have drawn up a better action.
This one is not as clear-cut. If Nurse calls a timeout in order to draw up a play, Golden State can set up their defense. By not calling timeout, he gave Kawhi a chance to face single coverage. Kawhi, however, did not face single coverage. He attacked too late, and as a result, Iguodala was able to trap without consequences.
If Kawhi attacks earlier, the double can’t come, and he’s probably able to generate an easy look. It’s easy to question it now, but the reason against not taking a timeout was solid at the time.
Verdict: Good Decision (or at least not a bad one)
Besides, the Raptors had bigger problems than the performance of their coach.