Nick Nurse critical of new Raptors for not playing hard enough

The culture that head coach Nick Nurse instilled for the Toronto Raptors last season helped lead them to their first NBA championship, and he wants to make sure that the team’s new additions are held to the same standard as well.

Eric Koreen of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Nurse strongly criticized Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson, among other new Raptors, for not adapting to how hard the team plays, particularly on the defensive end.

Part of Toronto’s success in 2018-19 was because of their elite defense, finishing the season as a top-five team in defensive rating (per NBA.com). While Hollis-Jefferson and Johnson both have the physical profiles to be above-average defenders, Nurse clearly feels their effort thus far is lacking.

Some other Raptors have very high expectations for the team’s title defense next season, and the only way to meet them is if every player buys in.