The Philadelphia 76ers have a major problem on the sidelines. Nick Nurse has been the common subject and recipient of blame this season among fans and pundits alike, and there are multiple, valid reasons as to why he is constantly drawing flak. His coaching decisions so far in this campaign have been assailable in every nook and cranny.
With each passing game, it is only becoming more apparent that the 76ers brain trust have to seriously contemplate and consider parting ways with him this offseason, if not at this very juncture. Fans are getting pissed with him, and this is simply not an instance of the proverbial fan-hates-the-coach norm when the team they are rooting for is struggling. It is deeper than that.
The 76ers have to seriously consider firing Nick Nurse once and for all
First and foremost, Nurse's stubborn stance against giving Jared McCain an ample serving of court time was one of the main reasons why he struggled in his comeback this season. The 76ers barely played him a lot of minutes, which only made it natural that he would have a difficult time regaining his mojo after missing almost an entire calendar year due to injury.
After getting shipped to Oklahoma City, McCain was reinvigorated. Mark Daigneault and his staff have not shied away from forcibly incorporating him into their rotation despite their glut of guards, and the results have been immaculate thus far. He is confident in his shot, and has more than held his own on the defensive end, which is a non-negotiable criterion for the Thunder.
Nurse's faults do not stop at McCain. He is also the architect behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe suddenly getting afflicted with minor injuries as of late. In true Nurse fashion, he has overexerted his starting backcourt by not giving them enough breathers during games, and the consequences thereof are starting to manifest at this point in the season.
There is also the frequently assailed aspect of his playmaking in late games –– the very fact that there is none. Without need to resort to the numbers and purely going by the eye test, Philly is the most iso-reliant team in the league when it comes to crunch time. Nurse has been so adamant on solely relying on talent to lift them in neck and neck situations.
These are only three of the biggest qualms about Nick Nurse, but they are plenty enough to warrant another look at this staying power in Philly. The 76ers can still salvage whatever they have to extract respectable seasons moving forward, but that will be highly difficult if the lauded tactician remains in the fold. It's time to move on.