You’re in luck if you’re an NBA team seeking new leadership. Two accomplished head coaches are available: Nick Nurse and Ime Udoka. The fact that both are on the market is surprising, and you couldn’t have foreseen this possibility a year ago.
Nurse guided the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors to their first championship. Udoka led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals last year. Life comes at you fast. Nurse was fired after the Raptors failed to make the playoffs. Interestingly, he might be replaced by Udoka, who was suspended by the Celtics before the start of the season amid a sexual misconduct investigation. Boston no longer employs him.
When coaches like Nurse and Udoka no longer have jobs, you must ask why. For Nurse, apparently, there was a disconnect between the coach, his players, and upper management. That’s not unusual in the NBA. Often this friction leads to firings.
According to Shams Charania and Eric Koreen of The Athletic, Nurse clashed with management over player usage.
Nurse will be forever fondly remembered in Toronto. He delivered a title thanks to the one-year gamble by executive Masai Ujiri, who traded for Kawhi Leonard. It’s also fair to acknowledge that his Raptors were fortunate during that 2019 title run. Leonard’s Game 7 buzzer-beater lifted the team past the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Raptors went on to defeat an injured Golden State Warriors squad in the NBA Finals. Still, Nurse earned even more respect the following season after Leonard left as a free agent to the Los Angeles Clippers. Toronto went 53-19, reached the conference semifinals, and Nurse was named Coach of the Year.
Since then, however, Toronto has missed the playoffs twice. Where will Nurse land? There’s speculation that he could be the next coach of the Houston Rockets. The Rockets (22-60) were tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the second-worst record in the NBA. However, they have a young roster, including second-year guard Jalen Green and rookie forward Jabari Smith. They also might land the top overall pick in next month’s draft lottery, with Victor Wembanyama as the big prize.
Nurse is a safe choice. Udoka is a complicated one.
Like Nurse, Udoka took over a talented roster as a rookie and enjoyed success. After a 23-24 start, Boston went 28-7 to close out the regular season and finish tied with Milwaukee Bucks for the second-best record in the East. The Celtics had a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals before the Warriors won the final three games.
With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston entered the 2022-23 season as the favorites in the East. However, the shocking news of Udoka’s suspension quickly paused the career of a rising coaching star. According to the investigative findings of an independent law firm, the details of what has been described as an improper workplace relationship, are concerning. However, Udoka is available for employment. Reportedly, the Brooklyn Nets wanted to hire him last fall but reversed course due to public backlash.
Given that, it seems curious that Toronto would choose him. Udoka is also in the mix for the Detroit Pistons and Rockets.
The NBA coaching cycle is always interesting. The additions of Nurse and Udoka give it additional juice. It’ll be fascinating to see how both do in their next jobs.
