When it comes to the NBA, which coach name is hotter than Nick Nurse right now? He spent a decade coaching in the British Basketball League and managed to find his own way to the top of his profession with the US Basketball League.
Eventually leaving England for an assistant coaching gig in the US Basketball League, Nick Nurse was able to parlay that chance into becoming the head coach of the Iowa Energy in 2007 and then got the call from Dwane Casey to become an assistant on an NBA bench only six years later.
Nurse didn’t waste his opportunity. He helped the Raptors reach the playoffs in each of his five seasons as an assistant. In 2017-18 season, as the team’s unofficial offensive coordinator, he helped fuel a franchise-best 59 wins behind more pace and space.
When Casey was fired in the offseason due to not advancing further in the playoffs, Nurse inherited a strong playoff team. However, his tweaks (and the trade for that Kawhi guy) led to newfound success in Toronto. Regarded as an offensive wizard willing to push the furthest of boundaries, he helped the Raptors realize their potential to rank in the top five in both offense and defense in 2018-19 season, and eventually going on a postseason run, culminating in the first championship in the history of the franchise.
When Leonard left in the summer, almost everyone assumed that the Raptors would take a massive step back. However, the team has gone 46-18 this season, earning a .719 winning percentage, which is higher than the Raptors’ mark with Kawhi last season. Whether it was giving Fred VanVleet even more freedom, unlocking Pascal Siakam, or discovering gold on the bench such as Terence Davis, Nurse has given the league a new blueprint to work off. His .712 winning percentage is the highest of all NBA head coaches.