3 Toronto Raptors who will make or break the playoff push
By Mike Luciano
1. Coach Nick Nurse
Nurse may have a ring on his finger, but that doesn’t mean that he should be completely immune from criticism, especially for what he’s done this season. Nurse’s seat may not be hot, but the temperature will start to get cranked up if the team keeps losing.
Between the now-waived Juancho Hernangomez starting games over Gary Trent Jr, Nurse’s refusal to give Jakob Poeltl more than 30 minutes when his hand is not forced, and some puzzling offensive decisions late in games, Nurse has made fans collectively scratch their heads.
Nick Nurse needs to lead the Toronto Raptors.
Nurse’s puzzling decisions were on display in the Washington win. Not only was Poeltl on the bench in critical moments, but Thad Young was continuing to receive minutes at the center spot. At least Scottie Barnes was finally unleashed as the commander of the second unit.
Nurse already has the ring to beef up his resume, but he could cement himself as a top-tier coach if he is able to take a clearly flawed roster and get them to play above themselves. Failure to do so could lead to more questions about his status with the Raptors.
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