Can Nick Nurse Deliver an NBA Title to the Philadelphia 76ers?

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After three years with Doc Rivers at the helm, the Philadelphia 76ers are going in another direction coaching-wise. Just one day after the 76ers lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Celtics, they parted ways with Rivers. A little over two weeks later, the team pegged Nick Nurse, who was fresh off being fired by the Toronto Raptors, to be their new head coach. But is Nurse the right coach to deliver an NBA title for the 76ers?

Needless to say, the 76ers have championship aspirations. Philly’s last NBA title came in 1983. Since then, the 76ers have only made one NBA Finals appearance, and that came in 2001 in a 4-1 loss to the Lakers. At the moment, many of the best sports books for betting on sports in the US don’t list the 76ers among the leading favorites to win the 2014 NBA title. For example, DraftKings lists the 76ers as having the seventh-shortest odds to win next year’s NBA title at +1300. But Philly is also a distant third among Eastern Conference teams behind the Celtics and Bucks. Those numbers are a sign that the 76ers need both better talent and better coaching to get over the hump and win a championship.

To his credit, Rivers was able to lead the 76ers to consistent success during the regular season. Philly averaged just over 51 wins per season during his three seasons, finishing either first or second in the Atlantic Division each year. But that didn’t translate to success in the postseason. The 76ers have lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in three straight seasons, falling to a different team each year. Even with MVP Joel Embiid leading the way this past season with Tyrese Maxey and James Harden providing plenty of support, Rivers and the 76ers couldn’t finish the job. Even after leading the Conference Semifinals over Boston 3-2, they fell short.

With Nurse replacing Rivers, the 76ers are getting a head coach who has won an NBA title a lot more recently. Rivers won his only title as a coach in 2008 whereas Nurse guided Toronto to an improbable NBA title in 2019 during his first season with the Raptors. Perhaps more importantly, Nurse has a reputation as a coach who can get along with veteran players, develop young players, and outsmart opposing coaches with an X’s and O’s standpoint. All of those are traits the 76ers will need to bring home a championship next season or in the near future.

Of course, Nurse still needs to get the right pieces on Philadelphia’s roster. Harden will need to exercise his player option to keep the core of the team together while role players like Danuel House Jr. and Georges Niang could also explore free agency. Obviously, Embiid will remain the centerpiece of the team. But the 76ers need to put more help around him. That could mean adding another top-notch shooter or even another big man who can complement Embiid and make teams pay for putting too much attention on the league MVP.

Unfortunately for the 76ers, hiring Nurse as their new coach may not be enough. In the Eastern Conference alone, they still sit behind the Celtics and Bucks while the Knicks, Pelicans, Hawks, and Heat are all potential contenders as well. Even winning the Eastern Conference doesn’t guarantee an NBA title, as the Western Conference has at least a handful of teams that look just as good, if not better, than the 76ers do on paper right now. There’s nothing wrong with taking a chance on Nurse after disappointing playoff results under Rivers in each of the last three seasons. However, Nurse still isn’t the last piece of the puzzle that will finally bring an NBA title to Philadelphia.