Raptors news: Gregg Popovich backs Ime Udoka amid Raptors links, Fred VanVleet shouts out fans

The Toronto Raptors will likely head into next season with Nick Nurse as the team’s head coach, but that doesn’t mean that they are totally done looking for a replacement that could step in if Nurse’s performance is not deemed satisfactory. In fact, Toronto is reportedly extending feelers out to gauge the availability of former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka.

Udoka being hired would be seen by many as a slap in the face, as he is fresh off losing his job in Boston due to an improper workplace relationship. The fact that interim coach Joe Mazzulla has Boston working like a top in his absence has to be alarming for front offices.

If the Raptors want to pursue this Udoka line of inquiry, a move many could find misguided, Ime did get a ringing endorsement from NBA royalty. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who has worked with Udoka as a player and coach, is firmly in his corner.

“Ime was and is and always will be a great friend, and so you can imagine that I was deeply disappointed and hurt for him, for everybody involved,” Popovich said, via Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “It’s a difficult situation for him, and my hope is that he will bounce back and find a home.”

More Raptors news

• The latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook paint a very rosy picture of the Raptors’ championship odds. Toronto is listed at +4900 (bet $100 to win $4,900) to win it all. That may not sound crazy, but they rank higher than the No. 8 seed Hawks (+8000) and the No. 6 seed Nets (+12000).
• Fred VanVleet, in an interview with Oren Weisfeld for Complex, shared one thing that he has become appreciative of in Toronto. VanVleet said that the craziness and fervor of the fanbase has grown on him.
• “I think one thing I grew an appreciation for is the passionate fan base that we have,” VanVleet said “It’s really one of the top markets in the league for a lot of different reasons, and it takes a while to get used to that because there is a lot of noise and excitement and love for the game and for the team.”

NBA news

• Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown and New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram have been named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week. Both of these players averaged over 31 points per game, with Brown helping the Celtics fight for the No. 1 seed and Ingram making the Pelicans a viable play-in contender.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers became the fourth team in the Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff spot. With the Knicks widely expected to be the No. 5 seed, the two appear destined to lock horns in the postseason.