Livescore
Nick Nurse accomplished plenty of highs during his 10 years with the Raptors, including a 2019 championship run and 2020 Coach of the Year honors. But with the team deciding to move on, they would be best served by picking a replacement quickly.
There should be no shortage of suitors.
The Raptors are widely regarded as one of the top organizations in the league, and they have a bevy of young talent to build around. They’re only one year removed from a 48-win campaign and went a solid 13-10 after the All-Star break.
Here are some of the best coaches that could take Nurse’s seat.
Ime Udoka
Any consideration for Udoka has to come with a thorough background check. He took the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first year by building an innovative defensive philosophy but was dismissed due to an improper intimate relationship with a female Celtics staff member.
If the Raptors do their research and are still comfortable with Udoka, then they will be bringing on a former player who knows the grind of the league.
Udoka’s strength is that he has been able to connect well with players while also being a straight shooter. He was not afraid to criticize the Celtics publicly multiple times during their Finals run. That criticism has been couched with a strong belief in the capabilities of his players, and numerous Celtics made big jumps in their development under his tenure.
There have been rumors floating around that Udoka is already the favorite heading into this job search, from both Doug Smith of the Toronto Star and Michael Grange of Sportsnet. He previously interviewed with the Raptors back in 2018 and almost got the job before Masai Ujiri went with Nurse.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski also reported that Udoka is a serious candidate to replace Nurse.
Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka is expected to be a serious candidate to replace Nurse, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/L15nmpkxVo
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 21, 2023
Adrian Griffin
Griffin has certainly put in his dues. Known as a heady role player during his nine-year NBA career, Griffin quickly pivoted to coaching after his retirement. He’s worked under some great head coaches, including Scott Skiles, Tom Thibodeau, Billy Donovan, and Nurse.
Griffin is well-renowned for his player development skills. Jimmy Butler has credited him with helping to develop when Butler was riding the bench as a rookie for the Bulls.
Griffin has already interviewed for numerous head coaching positions in the past, including the Rockets’ current opening. Whether or not it’s with the Raptors, it’s only a matter of time before he gets his head coaching shot.
Earl Watson
.jpg "Nick Nurse Earl Watson Adrian Griffin")
Watson was a 13-year veteran NBA point guard before transitioning to coaching. He didn’t put up a great record as head coach of a rebuilding Suns team, but Devin Booker has credited him with helping immensely during his development.
“[Earl means] everything,” Booker told Chris Haynes back in 2021. “I credit Earl [for] a lot. He was one of the early ones in the NBA industry to believe in me to that extent. I think it started with him being my player development [coach] before he was the head coach. So he watched the work that he put in with me. He was on the court with me, sweating with me, putting in the work with me and just coincidentally happened that he ended up being the head coach.”
Watson has spent the last two seasons alongside Nurse on the Raptors’ bench. He’s built up a reputation as a good communicator and relationship-builder. He wasn’t known as a great tactician with the Suns, but he’s had a lot of time to get better since those days. He could be one of those coaches who is much better in his second stint.
Sergio Scariolo
Scariolo is a well-renowned European coach who served as an assistant with the Raptors from 2018 to 2021. He left on good terms, taking the head coaching position at Virtus Bologna and sending a heartfelt thank you on his way out.
pic.twitter.com/tGLPKL6MAU
— Sergio Scariolo (@sergioscariolo) June 17, 2021
Scariolo is known as a great tactician. He’s had plenty of head coaching experience in Europe and led the Raptors to a victory when Nurse was out due to COVID protocols back in 2021. He also recently led the Spanish team to a EuroBasket title in 2022. He has a good relationship with Ujiri and the players on the team.
Frank Vogel
Vogel will get another shot to coach in the NBA. He’s a well-respected veteran coach with a career 431-389 record.
Vogel was dismissed from the Lakers only two seasons after taking them to a title. He built great defenses both in Los Angeles and in his later years with the Pacers. He could help the Raptors maintain their elite defense from the second half of the season, but he has been criticized in the past for a lack of offensive creativity.
Kenny Atkinson
Atkinson has had an unusual path to the NBA. After an overseas playing career was cut by injuries, he started coaching at the lowest levels in Europe before coming over as an assistant to the NBA.
Atkinson is another good player development coach who is willing to jump into drills with his guys. He’s an advocate of advanced analytics and has a strong X’s and O’s mind. The former Nets head coach did a good job with the limited pieces that he had, building a great culture and taking his team from 20 wins in his first year to 42 wins by year three. He was fired midway through his fourth season, with his team a disappointing 28-34.
Atkinson almost had the job with the Hornets in 2022, initially accepting their offer before backing out to rejoin the Warriors as an assistant. He has the respect of people around the league and a solid amount of experience for the job.
Read the full article here
