Raptors' Nick Nurse lets assistant Adrian Griffin take coaching reins vs. Sixers

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse is letting assistant Adrian Griffin take over the team for Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the team announced about 90 minutes prior to tip-off.

Griffin thanked Nurse for the opportunity during pregame media availability.

"I think [Nurse] is an awesome human being," Griffin said. "He understands that a coach like me needs some reps at being a head coach. He knows my ambition and wants to see me grow as an individual on and off the court. It's an awesome gesture by coach. He approached me with it. It just shows what kind of character that Coach Nurse has. We have a first-class organization for a reason."

Griffin's coaching career started just after his nine-year NBA career wrapped up in 2008. He coached in Milwaukee, Chicago, Orlando and Oklahoma City before joining the Raptors in 2018.

"Just like when athletes and basketball players are training in the summer, there's nothing compared to game condition," Griffin said. "You can work out all you want, but until you get in those games and get up and down the court, it's the same way. It's equivalent to an assistant coach moving over to that chair. You do all the training you can in practice, but it's good to get those game reps."

Griffin said he's not trying to "reinvent the wheel" when it comes to coaching.

"I'm just going to try and execute the plan Coach Nurse has provided," Griffin said. "It's a great blueprint to follow and I'll let the cards fall where they may."

Nurse isn't the first coach to slide over a chair in the NBA bubble, although he is the first to do so in a regular-season game. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich allowed assistants Becky Hammon, Mitch Johnson and Will Hardy to coach the Spurs in their three scrimmage games last month.