Is Nick Nurse Overrated?

[Jabroni Lames]

Nick Nurse is 3-7 without Joel Embiid this year. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more from a coach a lot of people hail as a "genius". Last year, I believe Doc Rivers had a winning record without Embiid and Harden... something like 8-2 or 7-3, IIRC.

Kind of like when Spo is routinely handed a roster of scrubs, undrafted, re-treads and malcontents that would make a G-League coach blush, but somehow manages to keep the Heat competitive and steal a few games. I thought Nurse was in the same coaching tier as Spo, but I guess not.

[Texas Chuck]

Yes, when you remove the MVP the team is built around they don't play as well. No coach can make up for losing an MVP.

[Childs]

No.

[tcheco]

You mean to say that a coach on it's first year with a team he didn't assembled and had to suddenly trade it's second best player at the time for bellow value player wise struggles(only 2 losses against a under .500 team in the last 10) when it's best player misses time, SHOCKING

[_jin]

I dont know. But it's not fair to compare a coach who's been with the team for a few months with the 2nd longest tenured coach in the league. For all the talk about Heat culture, there certainly is a Spo coaching culture in Miami. He's been there for a long time, his scouting staff knows what kind of player they need for his system. And Spo is literally one of the best coaches in the league with a long track record.
Nick Nurse has just arrived and has to manage with the roster he inherited, which is a great roster but it may not fit his strategy as of yet. Of course it all depends on Embiid, just like the other teams that have one of the very best players in the league. Heat dont rely on Butler in the regular season but they live and die by him in the poststeason. Also we have talked a lot about Maxey's leap this season and Nurse probably has something to do with it.

[PistolPeteJR]

/thread man.

[iLLmatic860]

Sixers have overachieved this season.

The team is worse without their Mvp?

Wow who wouldve figured lol

[Ryoga Hibiki]

this is a Rashad McCants level take

[scrabbarista]

Nick Nurse is 3-7 without Joel Embiid this year. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more from a coach a lot of people hail as a "genius". Last year, I believe Doc Rivers had a winning record without Embiid and Harden... something like 8-2 or 7-3, IIRC.

Kind of like when Spo is routinely handed a roster of scrubs, undrafted, re-treads and malcontents that would make a G-League coach blush, but somehow manages to keep the Heat competitive and steal a few games. I thought Nurse was in the same coaching tier as Spo, but I guess not.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say the team plays better opponents when Embiid rests than when he plays.

To answer: Nurse is no Spo, but he's still one of the best.

[og15]

Nick Nurse is 3-7 without Joel Embiid this year. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more from a coach a lot of people hail as a "genius". Last year, I believe Doc Rivers had a winning record without Embiid and Harden... something like 8-2 or 7-3, IIRC.

Kind of like when Spo is routinely handed a roster of scrubs, undrafted, re-treads and malcontents that would make a G-League coach blush, but somehow manages to keep the Heat competitive and steal a few games. I thought Nurse was in the same coaching tier as Spo, but I guess not.

What's the sample size of the games compared to other examples cited?

For example Embiid has missed 10 games, 8/10 were road games.

They lost @MIN (28-11), @NOP (24-17) and @BOS (31-9), @MIA (24-16), @CHI (19-23), vs UTA (22-20) and @ATL (16-23).

So first 4 losses are pretty tough games for a team without its best guy and it's not like they were getting blown out. Then they lost to Chicago, mediocre team. Lost to Utah who are 15-5 in their last 20, then lost to ATL.

Contextually, it's not really much to write home about for a lot of road games without your best player.

[scrabbarista]

Nick Nurse is 3-7 without Joel Embiid this year. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more from a coach a lot of people hail as a "genius". Last year, I believe Doc Rivers had a winning record without Embiid and Harden... something like 8-2 or 7-3, IIRC.

Kind of like when Spo is routinely handed a roster of scrubs, undrafted, re-treads and malcontents that would make a G-League coach blush, but somehow manages to keep the Heat competitive and steal a few games. I thought Nurse was in the same coaching tier as Spo, but I guess not.

What's the sample size of the games compared to other examples cited?

For example Embiid has missed 10 games, 8/10 were road games.

They lost @MIN (28-11), @NOP (24-17) and @BOS (31-9), @MIA (24-16), @CHI (19-23), vs UTA (22-20) and @ATL (16-23).

So first 4 losses are pretty tough games for a team without its best guy and it's not like they were getting blown out. Then they lost to Chicago, mediocre team. Lost to Utah who are 15-5 in their last 20, then lost to ATL.

Contextually, it's not really much to write home about for a lot of road games without your best player.

My wild guess is confirmed.

[cupcakesnake]

Nick Nurse is a top 2 coach in this league.

You're holding up the tiniest scrap of negativity and being like: is this heavier than the mountain of evidence that Nurse is a great coach?

The answer is no.

[Serge28]

I still badly wish we hired Nurse instead of Griffin.

[bwgood77]

What? They are crushing people even after trading away Harden. Without Embiid you wouldn't expect that team to be great. The only semi star you have is Maxey and then what, Tobias Harris? Even with Embiid missing 10 games, they have the 3rd best pt differential in the league.

[Jabroni Lames]

What? They are crushing people even after trading away Harden. Without Embiid you wouldn't expect that team to be great. The only semi star you have is Maxey and then what, Tobias Harris? Even with Embiid missing 10 games, they have the 3rd best pt differential in the league.

Just looking at the record from last year. When Embiid and Harden were out of the lineup, a Maxey led team went 7-3, vs. 3-7 this year under Nurse.

How can Doc Rivers have a better record coaching last season without his MVP AND an all-star calibre player, than Nurse has this year, only losing Embiid.

It does kind of makes sense that a Doc would be more valuable than a Nurse.

[LeBronSpaghetti]

No he’s a good coach. But them being 3-7 without Embiid isn’t surprising considering he’s their best player and Embiid basically only misses games against good teams.

Also those who actually thought the Sixers losing Harden was going to make them worse instead of better don’t know basketball.

[Jabroni Lames]

Yes, when you remove the MVP the team is built around they don't play as well. No coach can make up for losing an MVP.

Doc Rivers went 7-3 without his MVP AND Harden (all-star). Why can't Nurse at least have a .500 record?

[Jadoogar]

everyone thought the sixers would take a step back with the Harden drama. This roster is worse than last year and they are still 3rd. Nurse has been fantastic.

[bwgood77]

What? They are crushing people even after trading away Harden. Without Embiid you wouldn't expect that team to be great. The only semi star you have is Maxey and then what, Tobias Harris? Even with Embiid missing 10 games, they have the 3rd best pt differential in the league.

Just looking at the record from last year. When Embiid and Harden were out of the lineup, a Maxey led team went 7-3, vs. 3-7 this year under Nurse.

How can Doc Rivers have a better record coaching last season without his MVP AND an all-star calibre player, than Nurse has this year, only losing Embiid.

It does kind of makes sense that a Doc would be more valuable than a Nurse.

Nice last sentence. I don't know what teams they played, but that probably has something to do with it. In addition to usually relying on Harden AND Embiid and having them both out, probably is a tougher adjustment.

[ratul]

Doc rivers burner account