Nurse Intro Presser Thread (UPDATE: Stream link/2:30 PM EST)

[BigShaq34]

masai the trust fund baby fraud is still evaluating with his **** blackberry with no balls to make a big move and take a risk.

That stupid trust fund overpaid for ibaka and powell what a **** moron

[Raps in 4]

Sigh. I know he can't really give specifics and doesn't want to openly criticize Casey, but he gave no solutions whatsoever.

I remember watching that Cleveland series and nurse had the half time interview and basically shrugged his shoulders and said we need to play better.

Unless we make big changes to the roster, I'm done supporting Masai.

what kind of changes to the roster should we make? No one wants Demar, Ibaka, or an aging Lowry. And trading away those young guys on the bench would be a mistake.

1. I'm not sure Masai is aggressively pursuing trade options for Derozan and Lowry.
2. If no one is genuinely interested (which I highly doubt), then Masai made his own bed here by handing out those contracts.

[MavCarter]

Wow, super ignorant. A NBA lifer who got his job from his daddy calling the Nigerian guy a trust fund baby? How ignorant can you get?

Can't believe ppl are repeating this garbage.

It's wild that alot of people on here repeat that as if it's a funny joke.

He's been riding BC's core since he got here in 2013. BC drafted Demar, traded for Lowry, and drafted JV.

Those are the main guys on the team.

BCs core won 34 games and was capped out the year we fired him

[Yeezus_]

Wow, super ignorant. A NBA lifer who got his job from his daddy calling the Nigerian guy a trust fund baby? How ignorant can you get?

Can't believe ppl are repeating this garbage.

It's wild that alot of people on here repeat that as if it's a funny joke.

He's been riding BC's core since he got here in 2013. BC drafted Demar, traded for Lowry, and drafted JV.

Those are the main guys on the team.

Umm who cares? lol

BC was a trash leader and thats why the players didnt excel under him. Leadership is top down and clearly there was a lack of it. Did BC ever build a top 5 offense & defense. Did BC ever get the team beyond the first round? BC wasted the #1 overall pick on a guy whos not even playing professional basketball anymore. Just because Masai inherited BC's players, it doesn't mean they would've succeeded with him. Masai is a special type of leader who commands respect and deserves it, meanwhile BC always seeks for validation.

It's embarrassing to compare the two.

[raptor jesus]

A good GM is proactive. Something Masai isn't.

He's been riding out BC's core and coach for 5 years. He's been handing out bad contracts like candy. The only thing he's done well is draft. I've always maintained that he has a great eye for talent, but that's all he's good for. He's not GM material as he doesn't do the other tasks required of a GM very well.

So trading Bargnani for draft picks and Rudy Gay for depth is not proactive?

You realize that one of the reasons he was able to draft those young players is because he fleeced the Knicks in that Bargnani trade.

Not to mention in the past he brought guys like Cojo, Biyombo and Tucker to help our team. Biyombo and Tucker were very good for us, but Biyombo increased his value like crazy after the 2016 playoffs and Tucker chose to leave.

I also commend Masai for flipping Cojo for Myles and having faith in Delon/FVV.

He's done an incredible job...it's just that you have been spoiled by a perennial 50+ team to see it. Only two teams have made the finals in the past 4 years...it's not so easy.

My issue is him not addressing the core. Reshuffling the deck chairs is one thing, but that rarely pushes a team over the top (as we've seen time and time again). Look at what Ainge is doing in Boston. He doesn't rest in his laurels. He tries to make the team better every year with bold moves.

If you want to compete, you need to be proactive. If you want to rebuild, you can take your time. Taking the middle ground doesn't work in this case. Our team doesn't have much more room to grow. You either need to try and make win-now moves or you need to rebuild and enter that "organic growth" phase.

The Raps have made the playoffs for five straight years under Masai; three 50 win seasons; four playoff series wins; one trip to the ECFs (two games from the Finals).

Of course the ultimate goal is to win a championship, but just one of the those accomplishments listed above, let alone all of them, seemed unfathomable before before Masai showed up. Sure he's made mistakes along the way, no GM/President bats 1.000, but overall he's done a fantastic job overseeing what is, by far, the best run in franchise history.

[BigShaq34]

It's wild that alot of people on here repeat that as if it's a funny joke.

He's been riding BC's core since he got here in 2013. BC drafted Demar, traded for Lowry, and drafted JV.

Those are the main guys on the team.

BCs core won 34 games and was capped out the year we fired him

and we are now an even bigger joke on international stage as playoff chokers under the fraud trust fund masai

i'd rather win 34 games and have no one talk about us then be a distaster every year in the playoffs and have everyone laugh at us.

Nothing will change with this core until roster changes are made. Significant ones

[Raps in 4]

So trading Bargnani for draft picks and Rudy Gay for depth is not proactive?

You realize that one of the reasons he was able to draft those young players is because he fleeced the Knicks in that Bargnani trade.

Not to mention in the past he brought guys like Cojo, Biyombo and Tucker to help our team. Biyombo and Tucker were very good for us, but Biyombo increased his value like crazy after the 2016 playoffs and Tucker chose to leave.

I also commend Masai for flipping Cojo for Myles and having faith in Delon/FVV.

He's done an incredible job...it's just that you have been spoiled by a perennial 50+ team to see it. Only two teams have made the finals in the past 4 years...it's not so easy.

My issue is him not addressing the core. Reshuffling the deck chairs is one thing, but that rarely pushes a team over the top (as we've seen time and time again). Look at what Ainge is doing in Boston. He doesn't rest in his laurels. He tries to make the team better every year with bold moves.

If you want to compete, you need to be proactive. If you want to rebuild, you can take your time. Taking the middle ground doesn't work in this case. Our team doesn't have much more room to grow. You either need to try and make win-now moves or you need to rebuild and enter that "organic growth" phase.

The Raps have made the playoffs for five straight years under Masai; three 50 win seasons; four playoff series wins; one trip to the ECFs (two games from the Finals).

Of course the ultimate goal is to win a championship, but just one of the those accomplishments listed above, let alone all of them, seemed unfathomable before before Masai showed up. Sure he's made mistakes along the way, no GM/President bats 1.000, but overall he's done a fantastic job overseeing what is, by far, the best run in franchise history.

It's a run that hasn't led to bigger things. Since making the ECF in 2016, we've regressed every year.

The novelty wears off eventually. At some point, you expect forward movement. If not, then it should be back to the drawing board with a new direction.

[Yeezus_]

masai the trust fund baby fraud is still evaluating with his **** blackberry with no balls to make a big move and take a risk.

That stupid trust fund overpaid for ibaka and powell what a **** moron

Evaluate the team into a top 4 seed the last 4 seasons.

[Jef]

Sigh. I know he can't really give specifics and doesn't want to openly criticize Casey, but he gave no solutions whatsoever.

I remember watching that Cleveland series and nurse had the half time interview and basically shrugged his shoulders and said we need to play better.

Unless we make big changes to the roster, I'm done supporting Masai.

what kind of changes to the roster should we make? No one wants Demar, Ibaka, or an aging Lowry. And trading away those young guys on the bench would be a mistake.

Speak for yourself about Lowry. I'd love to have him for two more years, and then would love to have him at a back-up's salary and a back-up's role after that. He turned a corner with his playoff performance this year. Only a few defensive mistakes, which is natural (wayyyyyy less defensive errors than Harden or LBJ, but I know, that really isn't a good argument).

The other two - sure - you can reasonably be close in saying "no one".

[Yeezus_]

My issue is him not addressing the core. Reshuffling the deck chairs is one thing, but that rarely pushes a team over the top (as we've seen time and time again). Look at what Ainge is doing in Boston. He doesn't rest in his laurels. He tries to make the team better every year with bold moves.

If you want to compete, you need to be proactive. If you want to rebuild, you can take your time. Taking the middle ground doesn't work in this case. Our team doesn't have much more room to grow. You either need to try and make win-now moves or you need to rebuild and enter that "organic growth" phase.

The Raps have made the playoffs for five straight years under Masai; three 50 win seasons; four playoff series wins; one trip to the ECFs (two games from the Finals).

Of course the ultimate goal is to win a championship, but just one of the those accomplishments listed above, let alone all of them, seemed unfathomable before before Masai showed up. Sure he's made mistakes along the way, no GM/President bats 1.000, but overall he's done a fantastic job overseeing what is, by far, the best run in franchise history.

It's a run that hasn't led to bigger things. Since making the ECF in 2016, we've regressed every year.

The novelty wears off eventually. At some point, you expect forward movement. If not then it should be back to the drawing board with a new direction.

We actually were the best we've ever been this year.

[BigShaq34]

masai the trust fund baby fraud is still evaluating with his **** blackberry with no balls to make a big move and take a risk.

That stupid trust fund overpaid for ibaka and powell what a **** moron

Evaluate the team into a top 4 seed the last 4 seasons.

masai is good at making tredmill teams not championship teams, look at what he did in denver

[Yeezus_]

He's been riding BC's core since he got here in 2013. BC drafted Demar, traded for Lowry, and drafted JV.

Those are the main guys on the team.

BCs core won 34 games and was capped out the year we fired him

and we are now an even bigger joke on international stage as playoff chokers under the fraud trust fund masai

i'd rather win 34 games and have no one talk about us then be a distaster every year in the playoffs and have everyone laugh at us.

Nothing will change with this core until roster changes are made. Significant ones

lmao go support the Kings, you'll be a happier person.

[Raps in 4]

Sigh. I know he can't really give specifics and doesn't want to openly criticize Casey, but he gave no solutions whatsoever.

I remember watching that Cleveland series and nurse had the half time interview and basically shrugged his shoulders and said we need to play better.

Unless we make big changes to the roster, I'm done supporting Masai.

what kind of changes to the roster should we make? No one wants Demar, Ibaka, or an aging Lowry. And trading away those young guys on the bench would be a mistake.

Speak for yourself about Lowry. I'd love to have him for two more years, and then would love to have him at a back-up's salary and a back-up's role after that. He turned a corner with his playoff performance this year. Only a few defensive mistakes, which is natural (wayyyyyy less defensive errors than Harden or LBJ, but I know, that really isn't a good argument).

The other two - sure - you can reasonably be close in saying "no one".

Lowry is a truly elite player and the only one of our core worth keeping. If we can somehow swap out Derozan and JV for more complimentary pieces, then that would be a team worth trying to compete with.

[LBJKB24MJ23]

Wow, super ignorant. A NBA lifer who got his job from his daddy calling the Nigerian guy a trust fund baby? How ignorant can you get?

Can't believe ppl are repeating this garbage.

It's wild that alot of people on here repeat that as if it's a funny joke.

He's been riding BC's core since he got here in 2013. BC drafted Demar, traded for Lowry, and drafted JV.

Those are the main guys on the team.

umm there has been nothing wrong with doing the thing that has made the team successful each every consecutive season. BC just could not define the role players to get around that core. Masai identified it and got them either FA or draft. why the hell do you think we got to 59 wins this year?

again, BC's core is fine - they probably did need that true alpha player to get there but its fine.

[lebron stopper]

Man if Masai can turn Ibaka and DeRozan into FVV and a some versatile high IQ pieces, that would be a start.

Fixed. DeRozan is paid $28 million a year to disappear in the playoffs LMAO. Might as well take the keys from him and hand them to someone else.

[Raps in 4]

The Raps have made the playoffs for five straight years under Masai; three 50 win seasons; four playoff series wins; one trip to the ECFs (two games from the Finals).

Of course the ultimate goal is to win a championship, but just one of the those accomplishments listed above, let alone all of them, seemed unfathomable before before Masai showed up. Sure he's made mistakes along the way, no GM/President bats 1.000, but overall he's done a fantastic job overseeing what is, by far, the best run in franchise history.

It's a run that hasn't led to bigger things. Since making the ECF in 2016, we've regressed every year.

The novelty wears off eventually. At some point, you expect forward movement. If not then it should be back to the drawing board with a new direction.

We actually were the best we've ever been this year.

We got swept in the second round. We were the only team to not manage a win against Cleveland in the playoffs. I'd say that's a step back from 2016.

This team has serious roster issues that need addressing.

[Yeezus_]

masai the trust fund baby fraud is still evaluating with his **** blackberry with no balls to make a big move and take a risk.

That stupid trust fund overpaid for ibaka and powell what a **** moron

Evaluate the team into a top 4 seed the last 4 seasons.

masai is good at making tredmill teams not championship teams, look at what he did in denver

This is so much better than being a yearly 34 win team like you said in a previous post lol

[Danny1616]

My issue is him not addressing the core. Reshuffling the deck chairs is one thing, but that rarely pushes a team over the top (as we've seen time and time again). Look at what Ainge is doing in Boston. He doesn't rest in his laurels. He tries to make the team better every year with bold moves.

If you want to compete, you need to be proactive. If you want to rebuild, you can take your time. Taking the middle ground doesn't work in this case. Our team doesn't have much more room to grow. You either need to try and make win-now moves or you need to rebuild and enter that "organic growth" phase.

The Raps have made the playoffs for five straight years under Masai; three 50 win seasons; four playoff series wins; one trip to the ECFs (two games from the Finals).

Of course the ultimate goal is to win a championship, but just one of the those accomplishments listed above, let alone all of them, seemed unfathomable before before Masai showed up. Sure he's made mistakes along the way, no GM/President bats 1.000, but overall he's done a fantastic job overseeing what is, by far, the best run in franchise history.

It's a run that hasn't led to bigger things. Since making the ECF in 2016, we've regressed every year.

The novelty wears off eventually. At some point, you expect forward movement. If not, then it should be back to the drawing board with a new direction.

So when the Mavericks made the finals in 2006 and then lost in the first round in 2007 after having the best record league they should went complete rebuild?

So when the Spurs got bounced out of the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 and then got swept by the Suns in the second round in 2010 they should have went complete rebuild?

Oh and when the Golden State Warriors made the 2nd round in 2013 and then lost in the first round in 2014 they should have went complete rebuild?

Sometimes when you have a top 5 team a re-tooling can make the difference.

Under your logic any top team that doesn't make the finals should rebuild.

[And1Skip]

https://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2018/06/14/nick-nurse-introductory-press-conference-notes-quotes/


Followup stuff that was not in the press conference:

On implementing innovation:

I think if you’re going to be a little bit innovative or risk taking sometimes you’re going to be wrong and it’s going to look bad. I understand that…I’m not saying it’s a hundred things a game but there are some things, some ideas that I have that I want to try and do and we gotta try them. If they don’t work, I’ll stand in front of you guys, take the heat. I’ve already talked to some players about being more open-minded about things we want to do and we’ll go from there.

On Kyle Lowry:

First of all I love him. I’ve never seen a guy compete the way he competes. There is a lot to love about the way he plays and what he’s brought us all, me, the organization, the team. I’ve had guys similar to him in my coaching past. I thought he had a really good year, he shaved his minutes way down, we saved him about 12 games, just by saving the four or five minutes a game. He had a good playoff run, he shot the ball well. I just met with him two nights ago and I think he’s excited to have a better year. Now that he’s got a grasp of his offense a little more now – I know that sounds a little funny – but we changed a lot, offensively, last year, but I’m going to put the ball in his stomach a little bit more and have him run the offense. I look forward to him. I think he’s an unbelievably competitive time and a helluva player.

On Jonas Valanciunas:

I think he had a good year last year. The biggest key for me is that you’ve got to put these guys in positions where they can be successful. And I think we’ve learned a lot more about Jonas and what he can do and not try to expect him to do things he can’t. We’ve either (got to) work on the things he can’t do a lot more, or we’ve just got to build our schemes around doing what he can do really well. And I’m looking forward to this. I’ve got some defensive schemes in my mind that aren’t quite ready to be talked about, but along the lines of that…That’s the biggest thing for him. I think his offense is going to continue to expand. We started in about three years ago when I first went to Lithuania to start working him out. I didn’t do any post moves for like two weeks. I went over there, we were running the floor, bringing the ball up the floor, driving to the basket, doing all these things. And shooting threes. I think we got him handling the ball more this year. He had more fun. I think his knowledge of the game increased a lot more incrementally then it had in years past because he just wasn’t involved. I don’t know. You guys know I like him. He’s out there working every night. He truly, truly cares. Truly, truly wants to win. And he keeps getting a little better.

On Norman Powell:

Well, he first of all needs to get a little bit back in the fold and we’re doing this now with what we’re doing offensively. It was a bit of a player development issue. And I told Masai and those guys in the interviews that I take responsibility a little bit for this because a lot of times I saw him sitting outside working kind of on his own game and then the second unit was over there working as a unit together and they all of a sudden developed a rhythm. It wasn’t that Norm wasn’t working hard because he’s a super hard worker, he’s always one of the first guys in there, does all his work. But that group kind of melded together because of all the rhythm they developed. We’ve got him into that thing and he understands that now. Certainly I’d like him to get a little dirtier, as far as getting on the floor and taking charges, just being a little bit more of a factor defensively because he’s strong and athletic and you’ve got to use that strength and athleticism at the defensive end.

On late-game strategy:

It’s a really super-important part of the game. There’s so many close games that it’s one of the first things that was the biggest difference for me when I came back from Europe to go into the G League – all of a sudden every game seemed close. And after a year in the G League my assistant at the time, we spent the whole summer going through every scenario and pulling film and doing all this stuff, and putting the answers in, what we thought were the right answers. They were our answers, so they were right. And that’s one of the things I tried to sell, is that we may not run the right play. We may not call the right guy’s number, but we’re going to leave that huddle on the same page. And that, to me, is the most important thing. It gives them some confidence, etcetera. It’s the most important thing. It’s very difficult. It’s also very fun. It’s fun to try and X and O at the end of a late game, and you’ve got to approach it that way.

[Yeezus_]

It's a run that hasn't led to bigger things. Since making the ECF in 2016, we've regressed every year.

The novelty wears off eventually. At some point, you expect forward movement. If not then it should be back to the drawing board with a new direction.

We actually were the best we've ever been this year.

We got swept in the second round. We were the only team to not manage a win against Cleveland in the playoffs. I'd say that's a step back from 2016.

Obviously it was a disappointing ending but statistically this was our best team ever.