Mike Gansey has started a new revolution with the Philadelphia 76ers. Jaylen Brown, Dean Wade, and Labanon Philon Jr. have all been recruited as the franchise builds momentum towards a championship, with LeBron James potentially joining the movement. Excitement is stirring among the 76ers' fan base, but so is immense expectation, and it is Nick Nurse who faces unemployment if this season doesn't end in eternal glory.
Nick Nurse deserved another bite at the apple
After leading the Toronto Raptors to their first championship in franchise history in 2019, Nick Nurse earned a reputation as a championship-caliber coach. For that reason alone, Daryl Morey placed him in situ in Philadelphia as their trophy drought brutally surpassed the 40-year mark -- but that was already three years ago.
Since being placed at the helm of the team, Nurse has failed to reach the heights he reached in Toronto, and his role at the organization faced immense scrutiny heading into this offseason. However, context is everything, and while the 58-year-old has made some questionable offensive decisions during his tenure, his roster has been decimated by injury each year.
While the likelihood of Joel Embiid being available for an entire season is highly unlikely, Nick Nurse deserved the opportunity to lead the team into its new era. Under Daryl Morey, he may have been granted the fortune of coaching superstar talent like Paul George, but the squads he worked with lacked quality depth, meaning the 76ers had little to no chance of achieving their lofty goals.
Under Mike Gansey, Nurse will no longer have that excuse. Philadelphia now boasts an abundance of talented options across the board. Some may say this is a blessing for the head coach, but it could come with fatal consequences.
Big moves create big expectations
The city of Philadelphia has never felt so positive about an upcoming NBA season. Joel Embiid should be heading into a season healthy; Tyrese Maxey is looking to continue his year-on-year development; Jaylen Brown is entering his revenge era, and the depth of the roster has never looked so good.
Nick Nurse now has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal. With the impressive moves Mike Gansey has made in the offseason, it is clear that his vision for this franchise is to win now. Anything less will surely end in the head coach's contract being terminated as the franchise looks to optimize its championship window.
Nobody is going to have sympathy for Nurse, but a squad containing this level of talent is going to pose its challenges. Chemistry, cohesion, and establishing an effective hierarchy will all factor into success -- how do you figure out all of these things with three players who will consider themselves primary offensive options?
In seasons past, Nick Nurse had the ability to define success in different ways due to the relative health of his team -- that is no longer an option. The Philadelphia 76ers are not looking to cement a Play-In spot; they don't want a lottery pick; they want a championship ring.
Can the Sixers' head coach handle the heat?
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