Does Nick Nurse Deserve As Much Criticism As His Predecessors?

DISCLAIMER: I have been fascinated all season long watching the approach and strategies on display from Nick Nurse. I enjoy hearing him talk the game and always feel I learn something by listening.

His pedigree is strong and I’m still very hopeful that his hiring will result in victories we haven’t seen here in a generation.

It’s been such a small sample size, but only two post season games in and I’m not thrilled with the way the team has looked in either game. A game against a beaten up Miami Heat squad required a Herculean comeback that honestly never would have happened without an injury to Jimmy Butler.

Then, after an outstanding first quarter in Madison Square Garden, the 76ers collapsed and were embarrassed by a lack of rebounding effort. A golden opportunity slipped between their fingers and Game Two now certainly has a critical feel to it.

The 76ers had a lead in Game 6 at home vs the Boston Celtics with a chance to close out their series. They had a reigning MVP and a top 75 All Time NBA player on the court. They couldn’t deliver and then failed to even show up for Game 7 in Boston. Who took the brunt of the critique? Coach Doc Rivers!

So I’m sure we will see fans have the same level of critique for Nick Nurse. Nurse has an NBA Championship on his resume from 2019 but in the 4 years since then he has won a single playoff series. This year isn’t exactly off to a rousing start on changing that narrative.

The first quarter plan on Saturday evening was fantastic, but the plan after Embiid went to the bench was less than stellar. In a matter of four minutes, the lead evaporated and the Head Coach watched.

Hopefully, there is a better plan for Game Two. The inability to have a strategy or perhaps a better explanation on why his team seemed less than motivated to rebound should be expected. Why did the 76ers fail to intentionally foul as time ran out? If the last two games unfolded under Doc Rivers, we would be hearing how terrible a job it was.

Let’s resolve to not blame Nick Nurse first when professional athletes completely wet their pants in critical moments. Nurse didn’t miss a shot or fail to hustle on rebounding opportunities. He wasn’t the one leaving numerous Knicks shooters wide open as the perimeter defense looked pathetic.

Game One was an opportunity wasted. Game Two better provide a strong answer in response. If not, the players AND the Coach deserve a fair share of the scrutiny.

Despite a tumultuous season, this Sixers team that Daryl Morey put together might be their best chance to win in a while. If they can get through he Play-In tournament, they have a chance to go deeper than they ever have, especially with a healthy Joel Embiid.

The man behind this roster, Daryl Morey, joined Mid-Days with bob Cooney earlier today.

Despite being the 7-seed, and having to tangle with the the play-in tournament, vibes around the team seem to be high. They enter the playoffs on an 8-game winning streak, thanks mostly to the return of Joel Embiid.

The reigning MVP was playing the best basketball of his career before injuring his meniscus in January. When he went out, the team fell apart. They went from comfortably in the 3-seed, to hanging for their lives. And there was concern Embiid would never return at all.

But with only a few weeks left, Embiid made his triumphant return. Suddenly we saw the team that had people so excited earlier in the season.

All of that said, the Play-In Tournament is tricky. You don't get a series against the Heat, you get 1 game. And Anything can happen in 1 game.

You get some wiggle room, in that if you lose you still get a chance at redemption vs whoever wins the 9-10 game. But even if you win that, it means you get the Celtics in the 1st round, instead of the Knicks. Not exactly ideal.

Morey likes his team's chances though. He joined Bob Cooney, and guest host Amy Fadool, on today's Mid-Day show. What did he say? Does he have any concerns? How far does he think his team can go?