Everything 2021-2022 Season

[Primer]

Bingo! If Dragic had been a pro the Raps wouldn't be in this position.

I think with Nurse it's you have to fit his system, he's not going to change it to fit you.
I can see people not liking that mentality but I think you have to respect it.

[TrueTorontoFan]

I think with Nurse it's you have to fit his system, he's not going to change it to fit you.
I can see people not liking that mentality but I think you have to respect it.

Hypothetical question then. Isn't the best coach a coach who can put their players in a position to win and one that can be flexible?

[TrueTorontoFan]

All of our options were trash. We picked the guy with the most future upside in Bonga.

Svi looked good early in the season. I don't know what happened.

I'm a Bobby and Masai stan but it's undeniable they botched the bench construction for this season. Maybe Dragic taking up $19M of cap is the excuse. That alone is enough for an entire bench.

definitely not an excuse but part of the problem. They could have likely done a deal with dallas but again didn't want to do dallas a favor and take junk salaries with out really having something like a pick coming back

[Kagemusha]

Hypothetical question then. Isn't the best coach a coach who can put their players in a position to win and one that can be flexible?

I think it depends on the team's goals.
Nurse was flexible with Kawhi and that roster.

[TrueTorontoFan]

I think it depends on the team's goals.
Nurse was flexible with Kawhi and that roster.

kawhi was literally the best player in the nba

[golden]

What evidence do you have that Nurse is the key/a key personnel decision-maker? Of course he has some input but it's a bit much to put every personnel decision that doesn't pan out on the coach but then never give him credit for guys like Barnes, Banton, Champagnie, Achiuwa or Birch.

We are bringing in defensive minded non-shooters / non-scorers, because Nurse believes he can teach them shooting. Scottie, Dalano, David Johnson, Precious, Champagnie, Birch, Bonga, Yuta, Stanley, RHJ, Bembry, McCaw, Oshae, Boucher..... there's a consistent pattern. It's not an accident. High motor, defense-first... but very raw offensive player. Nurse feels like he can turn them into into serviceable 3 & D players. The only real "shooter" we brought in this year was Svi... who Nurse said he had talked to over previous summers and liked his game. Nurse has a huge input into the roster choices.

Aaron Rose wrote an article about how this philosophy is shaping the roster...

The Raptors Are Fully Invested in Nick Nurse's Shooting School
Offensive success for the Raptors will come down to Nick Nurse's ability to develop shooting skills throughout Toronto's roster

.....

But while the league pays exorbitant prices for three-point marksman, the Raptors — for the most part — have taken a different approach to team building.

Give me your tired, your poor, your unable to shoot three-pointers, the Raptors have said to the league, I’m sure. Bring me Precious Achiuwa, Khem Birch, and Scottie Barnes. Bring me your lumps of coal, in Nick Nurse’s shooting night school, they’ll turn into diamonds.

“If you want to stay in basketball, devote yourself to shooting. If you’re already a good shooter, become a better one,” Nurse wrote in his book Rapture. “It’s the one skill in the game that nearly anyone can get better at.”

......

To Nurse, it’s pretty simple. If there’s a willingness to learn, he can improve just about anyone’s shot. That’s why the Raptors drafted Barnes fourth overall despite his 27% three-pointing in college. It’s also why Toronto was so eager to trade for Achiuwa who attempted just one three-pointer in his rookie season and why the organization feels so confident Nurse can help Birch stretch his game out to behind the arc.

......

Right now, enrollment is full at Nurse’s shooting school, Nurse joked. It’s packed with players who have no track record of being successful three-point shooters but willing to learn from the man who quite literally wrote the book on shooting. Because as long as there’s a wiliness to learn, there will be improvement, Nurse believes. And when it does all clicks, the Raptors should have something very scary on their hands: a versatile defensive juggernaut where everyone is at the very least a threat to let it fly from deep.

https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/...teach-shooting

This isn't a knock on Nurse, because it's no different than when Masai kept going out and getting defense-minded players to fit Casey's needs: like perimeter defenders (CoJo, Delon, Norm), big wing defenders (PJ Tucker, Carroll), rim protectors (Ibaka, Biz) & mobile bigs (Siakam, Jakob) to remove the constant excuses Casey made about not being able to execute his defense, despite being a "defensive coach".

All great front offices align with their coaching staffs to bring in personnel to fit the system. Why should the Raptors be different? It makes literally no sense if they weren't on the same page.

[TrueTorontoFan]

We are bringing in defensive minded non-shooters / non-scorers, because Nurse believes he can teach them shooting. Scottie, Dalano, David Johnson, Precious, Champagnie, Birch, Bonga, Yuta, Stanley, RHJ, Bembry, McCaw, Oshae, Boucher..... there's a consistent pattern. It's not an accident. High motor, defense-first... but very raw offensive player. Nurse feels like he can turn them into into serviceable 3 & D players. The only real "shooter" we brought in this year was Svi... who Nurse said he had talked to over previous summers and liked his game. Nurse has a huge input into the roster choices.

Aaron Rose wrote an article about how this philosophy is shaping the roster...



https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/...teach-shooting

This isn't a knock on Nurse, because it's no different than when Masai kept going out and getting defense-minded players to fit Casey's needs: like perimeter defenders (CoJo, Delon, Norm), big wing defenders (PJ Tucker, Carroll), rim protectors (Ibaka, Biz) & mobile bigs (Siakam, Jakob) to remove the constant excuses Casey made about not being able to execute his defense, despite being a "defensive coach".

All great front offices align with their coaching staffs to bring in personnel to fit the system. Why should the Raptors be different? It makes literally no sense if they weren't on the same page.

I find that Aaron Rose is sometimes off with his assessments and trade suggestions. But yes they think defence first.

[Kagemusha]

So they're not trading for a sharpshooter then.
Wait for guys to develop their marksmanship, and in 2 years lose them to other teams ?

[bertarapsfan]

He kinda of has a point

[golden]

He kinda of has a point

Does he, though? Sure.... nobody blamed Simmons, because he was invisible in that series. I mean, is there even one Simmons moment that you remember in that series? Other than him giving up on defending Kawhi for the game-winner, and then the look on his face as the 4-bouncer goes through the net.

More important point is: bahahaha... we broke the Sixers AND the Bucks to the point where it still haunts both of them to this day.

[Kagemusha]

Does he, though? Sure.... nobody blamed Simmons, because he was invisible in that series. I mean, is there even one Simmons moment that you remember in that series? Other than him giving up on defending Kawhi for the game-winner, and then the look on his face as the 4-bouncer goes through the net.

More important point is: bahahaha... we broke the Sixers AND the Bucks to the point where it still haunts both of them to this day.

We broke them GSW fans too.
They're still crying should've would've up to this sec. Lol

[bertarapsfan]

Does he, though? Sure.... nobody blamed Simmons, because he was invisible in that series. I mean, is there even one Simmons moment that you remember in that series? Other than him giving up on defending Kawhi for the game-winner, and then the look on his face as the 4-bouncer goes through the net.

More important point is: bahahaha... we broke the Sixers AND the Bucks to the point where it still haunts both of them to this day.

Simmons defense was pretty damm good on both Kawhi and Pascal... I mean Kawhi body was pretty much broken by the end of the series after having to deal with Ben size and put up a million shots a game..
I mean more in the grand scheme of things i can see where Ben is coming from.. Joel and Doc both through him under the bus. And its not like either of those guys a great history of big playoff series wins.. Joels best series win to this day was beating an old ass Dwayne wade lead playoff team.. He was in no position to blame the series on Ben, He should have been able to beat the Hawks by himself if he was "that dude"

[Kagemusha]

Simmons defense was pretty damm good on both Kawhi and Pascal... I mean Kawhi body was pretty much broken by the end of the series after having to deal with Ben size and put up a million shots a game..
I mean more in the grand scheme of things i can see where Ben is coming from.. Joel and Doc both through him under the bus. And its not like either of those guys a great history of big playoff series wins.. Joels best series win to this day was beating an old ass Dwayne wade lead playoff team.. He was in no position to blame the series on Ben, He should have been able to beat the Hawks by himself if he was "that dude"

Come on. Embiid gives it every single game.
There's just bad match ups, esp in the playoffs.
Ben though has always been inconsistent, lazy, arrogant,
AND still can't/ won't shoot.

[bertarapsfan]

Come on. Embiid gives it every single game.
There's just bad match ups, esp in the playoffs.
Ben though has always been inconsistent, lazy, arrogant,
AND he still has no jumper.

Sure, But why doesn't he have a single playoff series win vs a decent team? The compliant could have easily been that Joel settles for jumpers way to often in past series instead of just banging and dominating down low.

[Kagemusha]

Sure, But why doesn't he have a single playoff series win vs a decent team? The compliant could have easily been that Joel settles for jumpers way to often in past series instead of just banging and dominating down low.

He's probably saving his energy.
We all know he's always nursing some injury come playoffs time too.
Also, Bret Brown.