Toronto Raptors: 3 goals for Nick Nurse ahead of 2021-22 season

2. Balance the minutes in the rotation

The fact that the Raptors’ bench in 2020-21 both couldn’t stay healthy and suffered from inconsistency stretched the starters to breaking point. Not only did this wear down the better players on the roster by the end of the season, but it prevented Toronto from allowing their reserves to get into a groove.

In addition to the continued development of bigs like Achiuwa and Boucher, Malachi Flynn needs to get on the floor to expand his offense toolbox. Scottie Barnes won’t develop by wasting on the bench, and Goran Dragic still can score at a very high level in this league. How will Nurse juggle all of this?

Can Nick Nurse get all of these Raptors on the floor?

Striking the right balance will be key. The starting lineup features microwave scorers like Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet that need to get hot and into the zone, while the bench is full of raw players who would improve more against live rounds on the floor rather than sitting on a fold-out chair on the sideline.

As much as the Raptors need to be concerned about how their young players perform, they need to make sure that Siakam, VanVleet, and OG Anunoby are put in positions to help this team win games and compete for a playoff spot. Getting the mixture is a tall order, but Nurse should be able to carve out a system that works for everyone.