Nick Nurse’s assignment from day one was clear—with the Toronto Raptors sporting a shiny new piece in Kawhi Leonard, a veteran guard in Danny Green, eventually dealing for a former all-star and Defensive Player of the Year in Marc Gasol, it was all about getting this team to the NBA Finals to compete for a championship.
Nurse, shaky at times, pulled his roster through a number of challenges that were presented at day one of training camp in Vancouver.
Questions varied; how the relationship would develop between a rookie head coach and Leonard, who forced his way out of the league’s most well-run organization, after losing trust in the San Antonio Spurs’ training staff.