Nick Nurse’s assistants are getting the kind of notice Nurse wanted so much for himself during his time as either a G-league coach and as that guy from Britain.
— STEVE SIMMONS ON TORONTO RAPTORS COACH NICK NURSE AS THE NEW NBA KINGMAKER,
Nick Nurse understands what it is to be a nobody knocking on somebody’s doors.
He lived that coach’s vagabond life for far too long.
For many years he was “Nick who?” Or: “Who are you again?”
He kept change of address cards with him permanently. Just in case.
Now, he’s won an NBA championship, won a coach of the year award, played guitar with the Arkells, made commercials, written a book, appeared in a sitcom, come out with his own line of sporting caps, sang at a Chicago Cubs game, and in this, only his third season coaching the Toronto Raptors, comes a new and unusual title of respect for the work he has done: Suddenly, the guy who couldn’t get noticed is a coaching kingmaker.
It’s a rather remarkable sprint he’s been on, with little time to catch his breath. After Sunday night’s inspiring win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Nurse spent a moment or two celebrating before finding out his No. 1 assistant coach, Chris Finch, was about to become head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He knew it was a possibility before the game. He didn’t realize it would be game over and ‘Goodbye, Chris.’ It happened that fast. The Timberwolves had the Raptors’ permission to talk to Finch. A deal was done quickly and Nurse woke up Monday morning minus his most trusted coaching adviser.
The hiring of Finch in Minnesota came just four months after the Indiana Pacers hired Nate Bjorkgren as their head coach. Bjorkgren isn’t just one of Nurse’s best friends. The two had worked together for years. He was Nurse’s No. 1 guy. Then Finch became his No. 1 guy.
Now both are gone and the season carries on.
There is a little Belichick and a little Popovich in all of this, timing aside. Year after year, season after season, Bill Belichick’s assistant coaches get hired as head coaches around the NFL. And year after year, season after season, Gregg Popovich’s assistants wind up running NBA teams. There was a time last season when 11 of Popovich’s former assistants or scouts were NBA head coaches.
Pretty much all of this happens because of the manner in which Belichick and Popovich have succeeded — and the way sport views success. The opportunities for work will be there for assistants looking to move up so long as Belichick and Popovich remain the voices of victory in their games. The quick and early respect for Nurse and the Raptors — and how they operate — is stunning in its rather short time frame, and all seemingly in fashion since Masai Ujiri was recruited to Toronto by Tim Leiweke.
The first head coach Ujiri hired was Nurse. The first head coach he thought of hiring was Popovich assistant Mike Budenholzer, the current head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. Budenholzer is coach of the Bucks team the Raptors beat in the Eastern Conference finals of 2019 and coach of the same Bucks team the Raptors beat in back-to-back games in Milwaukee just a few days ago. The coach Nurse has somewhat owned in their meetings of consequence to date.
Sometimes the best moves — like not trading Kyle Lowry away — can be accidental. Sometimes, like the hiring of Nurse, they can turn out to be spectacular.
All of this doesn’t go unnoticed around the NBA. Before Bobby Webster became general manager of the Raptors, Jeff Weltman held the title. Weltman then moved on to a senior position with the Orlando Magic. Before he signed a long-term deal in Toronto, Webster had a chance to become the GM in Chicago. Whatever it is Ujiri and the Raptors are doing, the league is paying attention.
Nurse’s assistants are getting the kind of notice Nurse wanted so much for himself during his time as either a G-league coach and as that guy from Britain.
There is still Popovich and Steve Kerr in the Western Conference, the kind of coaches who could last forever, so I asked Nurse if he was the “new Pop.”
He laughed at the question and giggled, replying “no, not at all.”
But do the math, especially in the Eastern Conference. Not even three years on the job, Nurse’s only two lead assistants are now head coaches. That job today, as internal Raptors voices will tell you, may be the most prized assistant coaching job available in basketball.
Work for Nurse and apparently you go somewhere fast.
“I’ve always seen this as part of my job,” Nurse said Monday. “Their dreams of being a head coach in the NBA are important to me. I’m super happy for those guys.”