- The Philadelphia 76ers assembled a 15-man roster of assistant coaches
- Nick Nurse will have enough brains around to help plan the Sixers’ season
- The pressure on the new head coach is massive
Newly-minted Philadelphia 76ers head coach, Nick Nurse has 15 assistant coaches on the team, the list of which was announced on Wednesday.
Bryan Gates, Bobby Jackson, Rico Hines, Matt Brase, Coby Karl, Mike Longabardi, and Doug West will serve as assistant coaches.
John Corbacio (Assistant Coach/Head Video Coordinator), Fabulous Flournoy (Assistant Coach/Player Development), and Jason Love (Assistant Coach/Player Development) also join the staff,
TJ DiLeo, Terrel Harris, Toure’ Murry, and Reggie Redding will serve as player development associate coaches. Kareem Thawer is the team’s assistant video coordinator.
The Sixers just formally announced their new coaching staff under Nick Nurse this season: pic.twitter.com/LtgUbMzWpP
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) September 5, 2023
In the press release that followed, Nurse shared his thoughts on the beefed-up coach section.
“Assembling a great staff with a rich collection of experience was paramount on my to-do list this summer,” Nurse said. “I’m proud to have built many relationships in our league that have led me to feel as confident as I am in every member of this group. I can’t wait to get to work as we embark on our journey toward an NBA title.”
Nurse was appointed as the team’s head coach in June this year, replacing Doc Rivers. The former headed the Toronto Raptors, who will now be coached by Darko Rajakovic.
Bill Simmons Takes A Jab At Nick Nurse Following The Coach Staff Announcement
NBA analyst Bill Simmons didn’t waste any time in needling Nick Nurse and the Sixers following their announcement. Taking to X, he responded to the post saying:
“I was pretty down on the 2023-24 Sixers until I found out that they have 15 assistant coaches.”
I was pretty down on the 2023-24 Sixers until I found out that they have 15 assistant coaches. https://t.co/eMkwOJDFs5
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) September 5, 2023
Simmons didn’t mince his words given the extensive list of support staff. Prior to this, he was vocal about the James Harden saga that continues to generate headlines.
“(Ime) Udoka came in, he got the job at the end of April and they were like, ‘What about James Harden?’ He said, ‘Yeah we can think about it!’” Simmons explained on the August 20 edition of The Bill Simmons Podcast. “Then when he got the job he said, ‘I don’t f****** want that guy’ and they threw their weight in front of it. That’s what happened.”
In all fairness, Simmons isn’t wrong in his blunt assessment. Nurse’s first run as the team coach has enough hurdles to deal with, and it doesn’t include winning the title.
Nick Nurse Could Be Under Huge Pressure This Season
Such has been the summer for the Philadelphia 76ers that Nick Nurse possibly steps into a massive pressure situation. For starters, he needs to gel with the players and figure out a way to bring the best out of them.
Secondly, he will have to figure out how the team functions if James Harden doesn’t get traded to another team before the start of the season. With the guard’s relationship taking a hit with the team, Nurse will have to diffuse every explosion that looms large in the locker room.
Then comes the team’s objective to win a title. The Sixers won the title last in 1983 and while they have had playoff runs over the last few seasons, they haven’t been able to make the promised land. This means Nurse will be expected to right the ship and take the side to the title, or at least make the NBA Finals. which they last made in 2001.
The challenges are many for Nurse, and only time will tell if he can shoulder the massive burden that’s incoming. For now, the Sixers have faith in their new head coach.
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