There have been great expectations placed on Nick Nurse as he takes over as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, greater even than the ones five years ago when he succeeded Dwane Casey with the Raptors.
He has a great player (NBA MVP Joel Embiid) and a very good team that’s had no real measure of success for more than two decades (no second-round playoff series victories since 2001). Winning big and fast will be all that matters, and the past — at least Sixers past — is not his concern.