The relationship between a player and a coach is a special one. It’s a bond that can be the basis of a lot of success in the NBA.
Sometimes, it can impact roster decisions. When an NBA team hires a new coach, it may attract players that once played for him. If they’ve got that bond, why not continue to nurture it?
With that in mind, the Philadelphia 76ers just hired Nick Nurse. This is not a coach who has bonded with every player he’d had.
Nurse is notoriously tough, and that doesn’t work for everyone.
It always seemed to work for Fred VanVleet. VanVleet and Nurse always seemed to be on the same page. Meanwhile, VanVleet is due to hit free agency this summer.
Are you thinking what we’re thinking?