The Philadelphia 76ers have found their next head coach, former Raptors coach Nick Nurse. Arguably the best candidate on the market now gets to work with the reigning MVP and bring home a championship to Philadelphia.
Nurse reportedly turned down the offer to become the Phoenix Suns coach, valuing the opportunity to reunite with general manager Darel Morey more. Morey and Nurse worked together in Houston, as Nurse lead their G-league team to a championship in 2013.
His work didn’t go unnoticed as he was given an opportunity on Toronto’s staff, working his way to lead the organization. He won a championship in 2019 but has not made a deep playoff push since. While many are quick to put the blame on Nurse, the team lost significant talent over the years making it hard to compete in the Eastern Conference.
Now Nurse has his superstar in Joel Embiid and will build his vision for the team around him. It was reported that Nurse spoke with Embid when he interviewed for the position, and the talks went well.
This is a tremendous hire for the 76ers, as Nurse has a clear vision of the team moving forward. Additionally, this will help Tyrese Maxey develop and take the next step, which the 76ers will heavily rely on with the potential departure of James Harden.
Positives of the hire
The biggest positive is that Nurse will play everyone in his rotation, giving the young players a chance. Something that Doc Rivers’ never did, which held back the team. Player development is also a huge aspect that he brings to the team, which again is something Philadelphia has failed to do in the past.
The addition of Nick Nurse also has a positive impact on the media. It was no secret that Doc Rivers wasn’t easy to interview. He very often would deny questions and give the media an attitude. On the other hand, Nurse is calmer during his interviews, hears what the media has to say, and gives a very professional response at all times.
He also brings a sense of grit and fight that always keeps his team in a game or a series. An example would be when the Raptors played the 76ers in the first round. While Philadelphia did go up 3-0, the Raptors fought back the next two games. Nurse is very quick to make adjustments in order to put his team in the best position.
Overall, Nick Nurse will turn this team around quickly and Philadelphia will be very active in the off-season with the result of achieving his vision. He will begin to fill out his staff in the coming days, along with his introductory press conference.
