2019 NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors vs. Orlando Magic preview

ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 20: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors handles the ball against Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic on November 20, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Key Question No. 3: How will Nick Nurse fare in his first playoffs?

Heading into this season, some had expressed concern over the abilities of newly appointed Raptor’s head coach Nick Nurse, who had obtained the job as a promotion after the firing of Coach of the Year Dwane Casey.

At 51 years old, he had numerous college stops since 1989 and fared well in the D-League, leading the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the 2012-13 championship. He was an assistant in Toronto for five seasons, but how he would manage at the highest level was up for debate.

In the regular season, Nurse was phenomenal in maintaining the status quo for the Raptors, leading them to 58 wins amidst a vast change to the roster with the addition of Kawhi Leonard, as well as the continued success in the 22 games Leonard missed at various points throughout the 82-game stretch.

Whereas a lot of teams can coast off sheer talent in the regular season, the playoffs are where coaching really comes into play. When focused on a single opponent for an extended period of time, it’s on the coaches to devise a game plan that puts the team in the best position to succeed.

We see some are more prepared than others. They know what plays to run, how to execute at all times and how to defend the opposition. That all comes from the coaching staff and their research leading up to the game.

Magic coach Steve Clifford has a below .500 record as a head coach, but he’s also been a part of the NBA since 2000 and the Orlando team that went to the Finals back in 2009. He’ll likely have a leg up on his opponent there, which may very well play out on the court.

Nurse has shown great skills so far, but the postseason requires an entirely new level of dedication and IQ. If it’s one he can’t provide, it’ll make the Raptors’ pursuit of a title much more difficult.