Bold move pays dividends for Raptors coach Nick Nurse

LOS ANGELES—It was the boldest move Nick Nurse made after he became head coach of the Toronto Raptors, a not-too-subtle redeployment of two of his players that has worked out tremendously early in the season.

Even in this era of position-less basketball — where there are point guards, wings and bigs and they are often interchangeable — Nurse decided Serge Ibaka was a centre and Jonas Valanciunas was a centre and their days of playing alongside each other were over.