Duffman100 wrote:refshateRaps wrote:The hate for our championship coach is odd?
100%. I criticized his offense and how he ran our bench.
But dude helped bring us a championship, our only championship.
Anyone with direct involvement in that championship gets extra respect and praise from me.
Aside from the deep rotation, I'll also always remember this:
https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/2019/6/8/18657848/toronto-raptors-steph-curry-defenseThroughout the playoffs, Jordan Loyd has been Method acting. You won’t see him on stage or screen. He’s not even an aspiring thespian; he’s a basketball player. Loyd spent the NBA season playing for Toronto’s G League affiliate, Raptors 905. Throughout the playoffs, Loyd has been playing on Toronto’s practice squad, mimicking the behaviors of different Raptors opponents. In the second round he was Ben Simmons, and during the Finals, Loyd has played Steph Curry. He knows better than anyone how ferocious this Toronto defense has been on Curry. “It’s hard for me to even catch the ball,” Loyd told me after the Raptors’ decisive 105-92 Game 4 win in Oakland on Friday. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for Steph.”
Head coach Nick Nurse had Loyd simulate Curry on their scout team. Loyd told me he’s spent countless hours watching film of Curry to study the minutiae of his habits, from his off-ball movements to his tendencies setting screens. It’s meant to prepare the Raptors for the real deal. “Jordan has been a true professional all year after a great season in the G League,” Kyle Lowry told me. “His help has been phenomenal.”
Will always have love for Jordan Loyd because of that. What a special roster. OG wasn't even active!
I thought Nurse was going to be our forever coach after that run. He was light years ahead of Casey, who was the best coach in the franchise by a mile at the time.
Despite the very talented and deep roster, I don't think just any coach could have gotten us over the hump. It's bittersweet how swiftly this ended, but Nurse will always have a soft spot in my heart despite some shortcomings he showed in recent years. The box-and-one is iconic!