Nick Nurse joins the growing list of coaches crying about Joel Embiid after getting destroyed last night in game one
Just one game in to the first round of the NBA playoffs, we already have a head coach crying about Joel Embiid. Following the 76ers completely destroying the Toronto Raptors last night in South Philly 131-111, Nick Nurse took the to podium to complain to the media about Embiid.
This is becoming my new favorite series on The Liberty Line. First we had Ty Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers crying about foul shots. We then had JB Bickerstaff of the Cleveland Cavaliers do the same.
Now, we have Nick “the best coach in the NBA” Nurse acting like a total loser in front of the media.
Nick Nurse says Joel Embiid “probably threw three or four elbows to the face. He got called for one. Nobody can guard that guy if they’re just gonna let him run you over.”
Honestly, Nurse should have just said “nobody can guard that guy…” and kept it moving because that’s really the only part that matters in whatever he was complaining about.
The Toronto Raptors are a very small basketball team. The tallest player on the Raptors is Chris Boucher at 6’9″ who finished last night with seven points and fouled out of the game in 15 minutes.
Joel Embiid had a quiet night, scoring just 19 points while bringing down 15 rebounds. The Raptors double and triple teamed him all night, while Embiid entrusted his teammates to do most of the scoring.
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The 76ers as a team only turned the ball over a total of THREE TIMES, one of which happening with four seconds left in the game and the shot clock expiring. So basically, thats two total turnovers.
I wonder if Nick Nurse would be complaining about Joel Embiid if he struggled to work himself out of Raptors double and triple teams. Five players on The Sixers scored in double figures last night. What’s the excuse for the others, coach?
- Tyrese Maxey: 38 PTS, 14-21 FG, 5-8 3PT FG
- Tobias Harris: 26 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST
- James Harden: 22 PTS, 5 REB, 14 AST
- Joel Embiid: 19 PTS, 15 REB, 4 AST
- Shake Milton: 10 PTS, 3-4 FG, 1-1 3PT FG
For a coach as highly respected as Nick Nurse, his comments on Embiid are pretty ridiculous. There’s no one on the Raptors team that is even big enough to slow down Joel Embiid. If you think running a bench guy in Chris Boucher and a combination of Pascal Siakam and any other Raptors player as the primary defenders on Joel Embiid then you’re in for a quick, early first round exit.
If you bring a bunch of defensemen over to double and triple team Embiid that they’re likely going to get hit with an elbow as Embiid towers above them. That’s basketball and this is the NBA playoffs. Are we really complaining about this?
Give me a break. Game two is tomorrow night in South Philly. I’m looking forward to making Nick Nurse, the Raptors, and their soft fan base in Canada cry even more than they did after last night’s game.
[…] of just letting it go after Nick Nurse complained about Joel Embiid and the 76ers in game one, Nurse took to the podium to share even more embarrassing thoughts heading into tonight’s […]