Nick Nurse Details How Raptors Scout NBA Referees
When Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse first joined the Raptors organization back in 2013 he noticed a problem with how the team viewed referees. Back then there was a sense of dread when certain referees popped up on the schedule. It was as if a loss became a foregone conclusion whenever certain referees were tabbed to officiate the game.
It prompted a change in "referee relations," as Nurse put it during a recent coaching clinic in Pécs, Hungary.
These days Nurse takes a different approach. He has the referees listed in the locker room before games with a brief bio on each of them.
"Tony Brothers. 2,645 games. 475 playoff games. Eight NBA Finals. Guess what? In November, December, January, February, you better get along with this guy because in June, when you want to win it all, he's going to be there," Nurse said.
This past year, the organization took those referee scouting reports to another level, Nurse said.
"I don't know where they get them from, but every day when I come into the area they would put one sheet of paper, a bio sheet of the refs and it was: Favorite movie? Shawshank Redemption. Favorite band? Prince. Favorite food? Pizza," Nurse said. "It really helped me because usually I didn't know anything about them and I'd be able to come out there and say, 'you like Prince? I went to the Prince concert myself in 1984!"
It humanized the referees, Nurse added, allowing the coaching staff to build a small bond with the officials before the game.
"It just changed the way I saw them and hopefully they saw me once in a while," he told the group.
Further Reading
Scottie Barnes has been preparing for more 'Point Scottie' next season, his trainer explains
Raptors should have a 'little specialness' this season, Nick Nurse says
Trainer details Scottie Barnes' offensive mindset going into sophomore season
