Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Nurse Provides Vague Health Update, Potentially Playing Coy with 76ers
At this time of year, it's important to take anything Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse says with a tad bit of skepticism.
Nurse has always been a little coy with the media, rarely answering specific detail or gameplan-oriented questions that could in any way jeopardize his team's chances. He'll rarely divulge his starting lineup before he needs to and tries to keep his injury reports a little vague. Now, with the playoffs just days away, Nurse isn't tipping his hand when it comes to Toronto's injury report.
"Well, we got some guys that haven't played right? I don't know if they'll make it to Saturday or whatever. So we'll see," Nurse said following Wednesday's practice.
The two biggest questions for the Raptors right now are the statuses of OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet. The former played in Toronto's final game of the season, logging 25 minutes in his first game back from a right thigh bruise that forced him out of the lineup for four games. VanVleet, conversely, rested the final three games of the season to take care of his ailing right knee.
“OG has hardly played at all for a long time. He needs to get rhythm and conditioning and all those kind of things. He’d be the biggest concern," Nurse said. "It seems like he’s coming along OK. He got a little sore after Sunday, but we’ll see.
Otherwise, practices have been OK, Nurse said, again reluctant to dive too deep into details. The players have been working pretty hard as they try to keep in a groove with Game 1 still days away.
"I would say there are a couple guys we need to get caught up a little bit, Fred being one of them. I would say we’re fairly healthy going into Saturday, which is a great sign," Nurse said.
At this point, it would be surprising if Toronto didn't have all its players ready to go for Saturday, but Nurse and the Raptors certainly aren't going to release too much information until injury reports are due Friday afternoon.
Further Reading
Raptors need to avoid 'slugfest' by dictating tempo to 76ers
Why Scottie Barnes' 3-point shooting will be the X-factor for Toronto's offense
Nick Nurse may not win Coach of the Year, but the Raptors' season has shown there's nobody better
