10 best replacements for Nick Nurse as Toronto Raptors coach

2. Ime Udoka, former Boston Celtics head coach

Udoka, who has been plagued by scandal to such a degree that he lost his job with the Celtics, has been named as the team’s top replacement for Nurse by many of the rumor mongers out there. Udoka was in the running for the job in 2019 before Nurse was hired.

From a basketball perspective, Udoka is almost beyond reproach, as he helped get the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first season on the job. Toronto will need to withstand a heavy PR hit, but the result could end up with Udoka getting the team in a better position.

Will the Toronto Raptors hire Ime Udoka or Kenny Atkinson?

1. Kenny Atkinson, Golden State Warriors assistant coach

Atkinson, who was doing a terrific job in Brooklyn before losing a power struggle to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, had enough leverage to turn down the Hornets job and stay with the Warriors. He can wait until the right job comes around, and Toronto could offer that.

Atkinson is an offensive-minded coach that could help the team finally have some half-court identity. With Mike Brown coming from Steve Kerr’s juggernaut in San Francisco and winning Coach of the Year with the Kings, why can’t Atkinson have a similar impact in Toronto?