The Philadelphia 76ers seemed like they had everything going for them until in true Sixer fashion, they somehow managed to blow one of their biggest gimmies in recent years, losing to a Nuggets team missing all of their starters and then some at home in a rubber match that should not have even gone into overtime in the first place.
As people were quick to point out, this loss can be largely attributed to the coaching staff’s numerous baffling decisions. Nick Nurse turned in an absolute disasterclass, leaving the 76ers to fend off for themselves for the most part with his sheer lack of functional game management. This is not the only time this has happened, and it is high time for the front office to start making him feel antsy at the very least.
Even through the highs, fans have become so critical of Nurse — and rightfully so. While some of the proverbial reactionary takes should probably be shelved for this discourse, the champion head coach has not really moved the needle as much as the team would have liked. He has not been felt most of the time, and when it comes to minute decisions that could make or break a game, he simply refuses to man up and make those necessary calls.
The 76ers front office needs to hold Nick Nurse more accountable
Nurse, who won a title back in 2019 with the Raptors, was brought in to help a 76ers team that lacked major edge when it comes to the tactical aspect of the game. The team glossed over some of the red flags that got him axed in Toronto, and while having a win-now squad allowed them to be more lax in that regard, he has been far from a masterful game manager in Philly.
Too often do we witness the 76ers simply resort to one-on-one basketball in crunch time. Playcalling, which is supposedly Nurse’s best trait, has been marginal at best. Players are not empowered to make more inclusive decisions with the rock, and the results have been ignominious.
Coaches sometimes have instincts which only they could justify, and in Nurse’s case, a lot of his decisions have been brow-raising. Say for example, sticking with a non-shooter like Adem Bona alongside Joel Embiid when the defense is doubling down on the superstar is probably something even an abecedarian would not dare to do. Ditto for having the “let Tyrese Maxey play streetball” as the team’s pet play at the end of games.
Mind you, this is just the tip of the iceberg with Nurse. He has some degree of derision about playing young guys. His rotations are wonky, yada yada yada. At this point, his faults are so repetitive that we need not belabor ourselves with the hassle of pinpointing his recurring flaws. Even a non-76ers fan would instantly recognize what is wrong with his game management and overall program.
As such, it’s time for the front office to make him feel the heat.