Toronto Raptors: 5 candidates to replace Dwane Casey as head coach

1. Nick Nurse

Nick Nurse has been a Raptors’ assistant coach and their offensive coordinator since 2013. However, he possesses plenty of head coaching experience, even winning some titles in the process.

Nurse coached for 12 seasons in Great Britain, winning titles in 1996 and 2000 and Coach of the Year honors in 2000 and 2004. He then moved on to coach in the D-League for six seasons, winning championships with the Iowa Energy in 2011 and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2013.

In-house support is something that could work in Nurse’s favor. Grange’s article for Sportsnet mentions that the front office directed Dwane Casey to implement Toronto’s new Nurse-devised offensive system this season as part of the team’s “culture change.” The Raptors executives pushing for Nurse’s scheme could show their belief in him as a coach in general.

Under Nurse’s offense, Toronto finished 2017-18 as the NBA’s third-best offense, scoring 111 points per 100 possessions. The Raptors even held strong offensively during their rocky playoff run, ranking second in the postseason at 110.1 points per 100 possessions.

Nick Nurse brings a lot to the table as a potential NBA head coach. He has 18 years of head coaching experience and four championships to his name. However, he also knows how to connect with NBA players, namely those already on the Raptors’ roster. His offensive scheme is more modern than his predecessor’s and could push stars DeRozan and Lowry to new levels of production.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

The Toronto Raptors have plenty of great options to choose from as they seek out their next head coach. However, one of the best candidates for the job could already be on their sidelines.