3 Raptors who might earn accolades for excellent 2021-22 season
By Mike Luciano
Nick Nurse: Coach of the Year
This might be a long shot, as names like Monty Williams, Chris Finch, and Taylor Jenkins all have rock-solid cases for this honor. However, there is a path for Nurse earning this award for a second time, especially considering how the media voted last season.
Tom Thibodeau won out over Williams last year despite the fact the Knicks barely edged into the fourth seed. With Thibs turning the Knicks from a lottery team into a squad that hosted a home playoff game, a similar rise back to prominence might be enough for the voters to once again throw some votes over to Nurse.
Does Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse has a shot at Coach of the Year?
Nurse was handed a team fresh off of a 27-45 record that has been forced to play games without a point guard or center due to injury. The fact that he has them in such an advantageous position without just one player older than 30 on the roster is a testament to his adaptability.
Ultimately, the fact that Toronto is far away from snagging a top seed might be enough to put the nail in Nurse’s COTY coffin. There is still a small chance that voters who were initially questioning Nurse and Masai Ujiri’s plan end up changing their minds and lavishing praise on the Raptors’ coach.