Toronto Raptors: Nick Nurse has answered all of his critics

Golden State Warriors Series

Thus far, this series has been matchup driven; the successful lineup taking advantage of the opposition.

The Raptors, out of the rest of the league, have the best personnel to deal with the Warriors’ punches.

In Game 1, the Raptors quickly turned their attention to the backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, putting the emphasis on the others to have to produce. They were also able to develop an offensive flow, running clean, picturesque sets with multiple guys contributing.

Game 2, the same game plan didn’t work, with Quinn Cook and Andre Iguodala providing energy and points they lacked in Game 1. Nurse even tried a box-and-one, disrupting Golden State’s rhythm offensively, allowing the Raptors to get back into the game and make a run. It was a great chess move, however, none of it mattered after a late 3 from Iguodala to seal the deal.

For Games 3 and 4, Nurse was brilliant. Matching every opposing run with a timeout, deploying balanced lineups, executing after-timeout plays, and putting an emphasis on attacking the mismatches.

In Game 5, the Raptors did not look ready, outplayed for the majority of the game. They were able to stay close, but a number of mishaps impeded Toronto from winning the championship.

Calling a timeout with three minutes left, taming the momentum after an all-time scoring stretch by Kawhi, and not calling a timeout in the final seconds of play, could easily be painted as causes for the loss.

Nurse also opted to finish the game with Powell over Siakam; without Siakam on the floor, the Raptors lacked the length and the ability to recover on shooters quickly. A costly mistake, which played a part in the Warriors’ backcourt finding and knocking down good looks from three.

While Nurse has had a few blemishes during the post-season, based on the trend of the playoffs, it’s a safe bet to believe Nurse will adapt and adjust for Game 6.