Raptor seeks new rebuild and parts ways with Coach Nick Nurse

Raptor seeks new rebuild and parts ways with Coach Nick Nurse 

(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Image)

After a tumultuous season for the Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri announced that the Raptors parted ways with Coach Nick Nurse.  After serving five seasons as the Raptors' head coach, Nick Nurse received the 2020 Coach of the Year award following his Championship run in 2019. Raptors President Masai Ujiri addressed the media following the announcement expressing his concerns about their organization. The Raptors finished this season with a 41-41 record before losing to the Chicago Bulls in the 9-10 game of the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The Raptors failed to make the post-season twice since the 2020-21 season with just two playoff wins.

“ I think that game the last year summed up what has gone on with this organization. The feel, the spirit of who we are, it's been very disappointing for us," Ujiri said. "We want to gain momentum back as a team. Togetherness, culture, all the things we've stood for here, I think we lacked this year.”

The harsh reality is that Coach Nurse hasn't been able to follow up with success after capturing the franchise's first NBA title in 2019. This off-season will be a crucial period for the Raptors' organization who’s met with the tasks of securing a new coach, and resigning their core member while rebuilding team culture. The Raptors were a below-average team most of the season, with no bench production and shooting woes. Their inability to win on the road came back to haunt them as they made the end-of-season push for the playoffs. Team President Masai Ujiri mentioned that the Raptors are focused on rebuilding its current roster with intentions to regain its championship DNA.

2023 Raptors Off-Season Guide 

(Photo by: Getty Images)

Masai has a history of success with draft picks in the past (Anunaboy, Barnes, and Siakam), and with a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA draft, the Raptors hope to continue their blueprint. The Raptors struggled with shooting woes all season, while their bench production was non-existent. Toronto ranked 28th in 3-point percentage (33.5%), last in bench minutes (14.1) and points per game (27.2). Raptors' Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr.. both have player options and will most likely test free agency this July. Jakob Poeltl who rejoined the Raptors at the trade deadline is an unrestricted free agent. Fred VanVleet, who changed representation to Klutch Sports Group, has until June 15th to opt into his player option. VanVleet has until this June 30th to accept the four-year $114 million extension from Toronto. Vanvleet is a vital piece of this Raptors ballclub, ranking second in minutes played. Despite the slow start, Vanvleet showed glimpses of why he’s still a top guard in the Eastern Conference. Evaluating VanVleet's contract valuations give a realistic look at his determined value. If Toronto agrees to pay VanVleet anything north of a four-year $115 million deal, he will earn over $25 million in the 2023-24 season.

“ There’s parody in the league and I just don’t view that breaking down a team is the only way to build a team. I think when I look at the trade deadline or I look at the players we have I think there’s a alot of value.” - Masai Ujiri (Toronto Raptors President)

The top front-office priority will be around Raptors' Forward Pascal Siakam and O.G Anunoby who are both extension eligible and can be free agents in 2024. Siakam is eligible to sign a four-year, $189.1 million max extension in July. Siakam is coming off another all-star calibre season, averaging 24.2 points, 7.8 rebs, and 5.8 assists. You can make a strong case that Siakam will receive another All-NBA bid. Another All-NBA bid makes Siakam eligible for the supermax extension. The extension would increase to five years and an extra $100 million (worth up to $288 million). Anunoby upheld his promises to the Raptors organization. Masai Ujiri praised O.G. on his maturation, declaring him one of the top two-way players in the NBA. Anunoby averaged 17.3 points on 54.1% from the field and 44.2% on 3s after the All-Star break. With the recent CBA rule changes, the Raptors will get an extra $16 million that can be leveraged to offer Anunoby. A four-year, $116 million contract would start at $26.1 million and replace his $19.2 million player option in 2024-25.

“ I think sometimes people mention to us about contracts, I personally don’t think contracts is an issue becasue I think historically here the players knew that we’ve taken care of the players here. You know there’s been barely any players where that’s what we kind of do.” - Masai Ujiri

If Toronto agrees to bring back its core of Vanvleet, Trent, and Poeltl, the Raptors will face financial turmoil for years to come. With the addition of Siakam, Barnes, and Anonuby’s contracts, the Raptors are potentially looking at around $175 million in the contracts during the 2024-25 season for their top five players. In the business of the NBA, when executives draft prominent picks this is the price you pay. It’s time for Toronto to go in a different direction, the invisible ability to attract high-level players must come to an end. Masai will need to utilize his core pieces and test the market this off-season.

Written by: Hussein Abdullahi

Featuring: @raptors, @nbacanada

Published by: TGQ Inc.

Women's Final Four Puts up Historical Numbers

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

TORONTO — The Women's Final Four has been exciting and inspiring for basketball fans globally. The highly anticipated double-header featured Naismith POTY Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, defending National Champions South Carolina, and a well-seasoned LSU program. Both games attracted over 19,000 fans at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas. The added media coverage by ESPN has catapulted this year's final viewership numbers. The Iowa-South Carolina game was the most-watched semifinals in history, thanks to Caitlin Clark’s Steph Curry-like performance. The game averaged 5.5 million viewers, up 72% year-over-year, surpassing the 2012 Women’s Final Four matchup between Baylor and Stanford with 3.76 million. Clark’s 41-point performance came close to setting the record for the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever.

LSU Wins First National Championship In Program History

(Photo/ESPN)

History was made on Sunday afternoon as the LSU Tigers brought home their first championship. In just her second year on the job, Coach Mulkey delivered on her promise to the state of Louisiana. Mulkey has had successful runs with storied programs including Baylor (2000-2021) and Louisiana Tech (1986-2000), both winning National Championships. With the Tigers' 102-85 win over Iowa, Mulkey becomes the first women's college basketball coach to lead multiple teams to national championships (Baylor, Louisiana Tech, LSU). The LSU-Iowa game was a matchup of two well-seasoned programs and a pair of generational talents in Clark and Reese. Iowa entered the title game as the favourite, thanks to the historical performances of Caitlin Clark during the NCAA Tournament. Clark cements herself in the history books, setting a record for the total points scored in a single men's or women's NCAA Tournament with 191.

“I don't know if it's the mere fact that we're doing this in my second year back home. I don't know if it was the fact that I am home. I don't know if it was looking across there at my daughter and my grandchildren. So that should tell you what I think about it. Very, very emotional and tears of joy.” - Coach Kim Mulkey

This included back-to-back 41-point performances, including an upset over No. 1 South Carolina. In the first half, Clark poured in 16 points, but it was Jasmine Carson who stole the show. When Reese headed to the bench after her second foul, Carson erupted, hitting multiple threes including a buzzer-beater to give the Tigers a 17-point advantage at halftime. Despite the Tigers' 17-point advantage, the Hawkeyes mounted a spirited comeback in the second half but fell short. In the end, Coach Mulkey’s championship pedigree served as the difference maker. The Tigers shot 54%, including 65% from three, while their bench outscored the Hawkeyes 30-8.

Women’s National Championship Game Draws Record Audience

USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

The duel between Iowa’s Naismith POTY and the Final Four MOP drew record-breaking viewership numbers. According to Nielsen, Sunday's National Championship game was the most-viewed NCAA women’s game on record, with 9.9 million viewers on ABC and ESPN2. The audience at one point peaked at 12.6 million, a 103% increase from last year's South Carolina-UConn finals (4.85 million). The viewership spike took place a year before the NCAA's contract expires with broadcasters. The NCAA will be faced with a complex decision on whether to separate the women's tournament or keep it as part of the package with other sports. The meteoric rise of women’s hoops continues to highlight the importance of investing in women's sports. The Iowa-LSU game's 9.9 million viewers topped marquee men’s events, including the Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, 2023 TNF, and more. Next year's women’s tournament will be loaded with future WNBA talents and a golden opportunity for the college business.

Written by: Hussein Abdullahi

Featuring: @marchmadnesswbb, @espn, @lsuwbkb, @iowawbb

Published by: TGQ Inc.