Raptors fire Sam Mitchell!

[Jynx]

The Toronto Raptors have fired coach Sam Mitchell after Wednesday's 39-point loss in Denver.

"This is a difficult but necessary step the franchise must take," Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo. "We appreciate all that Sam has done for the organization, applaud him for his successes and wish him nothing but the best with his future in basketball."

Mitchell will be replaced by Raptors assistant coach Jay Triano on an interim basis. He is in his seventh season as a Raptors assistant. A native of Niagara Falls, Triano coached the Canadian men's national team from 1998-2004, posting a 52-42 record.

Triano's first game as head coach will come Friday when the Raptors visit Utah to play the Jazz.

Expected to challenge the Celtics in the Atlantic Division this season, Toronto is 8-9 and already eight games behind Boston.

Mitchell is in his fifth season with the Raptors, posting a 156-189 record. He was named the coach of the year in 2006-07 after guiding Toronto to a 47-35 record and a playoff berth. The Raptors regressed to 41-41 last season but still made the playoffs, losing in the first round.


Who do you guys feel is the best replacement?

I think Flip Saunders is prob the first person Colangelo will go after

I really liked mitchell! :banghead:

[beecue]

I liked Mitchell as well but I sensed this would happen. Flip would be a great choice .. any other coaches on the market?

[PGTze]

Finally, his coach of the year was a joke considering how weak the Atlantic was that year.

[DJ_NAV]

A change was needed...
a team as stacked as the raptors should be in the top 10 teams.

[holden]

I think Sam was a good guy, but maybe not the best coach. He seemed like a good motivator, but not a good game manager and X's and O's person.

[max_boost]

It was just a matter of time.

[Aniki]

avery johnson wasn't hired after being let go in dallas was he?

[signature7]

Avery Johnson, Mark Jackson, Flip Saunders and Jeff Van Gundy are available to name a few.

[DJ_NAV]

no gundy please

[JVR1]

^^ :werd: no gundy!

[buh_buh]

Its been a LOOOOONG time coming. The Raptors have been mediocre for so long. I'm actually surprised it took so long for this to happen. He should've been fired years ago. He is probably the longest serving coach for an underachieving team.

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by holden
I think Sam was a good guy, but maybe not the best coach. He seemed like a good motivator, but not a good game manager and X's and O's person.

Mitchell was never an X's and O's-kind of coach. That's what Jay Triano was for. Mitchell's strengths, for the most part, came from managing the team's personnel.

[urbannomad]

OMG OMG OMG!


I just flipped out in law, and now everyone is staring...FUCK IT!

Koombayah my lord!

[bigboom]

Originally posted by sexualbanana


Mitchell was never an X's and O's-kind of coach. That's what Jay Triano was for. Mitchell's strengths, for the most part, came from managing the team's personnel.

the raps need that kind of x's and o's coach though. and they need a coach that is going to use the players strengths not force them to do things that they arent comfortable with. as much as i liked sam and the way he managed the team he was never a coach that could get the raps to win on a night in night out basis.

prime example is the way he managed the new jersey loss...i think that was his ticket out.

[anarchy]

Originally posted by bigboom


the raps need that kind of x's and o's coach though. and they need a coach that is going to use the players strengths not force them to do things that they arent comfortable with. as much as i liked sam and the way he managed the team he was never a coach that could get the raps to win on a night in night out basis.

prime example is the way he managed the new jersey loss...i think that was his ticket out.

:werd:

And it sounds like Triano will remain the coach for the rest of the season so we won't see a new coach til the summer. Flip would be a great coach, but I'm interested to see what Triano can do with this squad.

[Jynx]

Colangelo is the guy who put together the old phoenix running team so he is pro running and anti defense (kinda)

Rite off the bat that eliminates van gundy and avery from the mix.

Mark Jackson is a rookie but i think he is also more defensive minded.

That leaves eddie jordan or flip saunders and flip is much more offensive minded.

I think they will go after Flip asap and try and sign him before the all star break unless Triano somehow gets this team off the ground.

[OH-EIGHT]

they're probably going to get ettore messina in the offseason (depending on whether he wants to come over)

[rumeo]

best decision they could have done

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by bigboom


the raps need that kind of x's and o's coach though. and they need a coach that is going to use the players strengths not force them to do things that they arent comfortable with. as much as i liked sam and the way he managed the team he was never a coach that could get the raps to win on a night in night out basis.

prime example is the way he managed the new jersey loss...i think that was his ticket out.

I only slightly disagree with your point on this one. I don't think the Raptors need another X's and O's kind of coach, because they have one, and always did, with Triano. To me, their problems stem from their inability to play on-ball defense, which you can rationalize as being both Colangelo's fault and Mitchell's fault, as well. Like Jynx said, Colangelo's set the Raptors on this wide-open, 8-second posession offense (which isn't necessarily a bad idea), but they don't have the players to run it as effectively as the Suns did, plus we all saw what happened to the Suns when teams were able to slow them down and force them to run a half-court offense and defense. In a man-to-man defensive situation, the perimeter players are heavily outmatched and they rely too heavily on their big guys (O'Neal, Bosh, and even Bargnani) to bail them out with with their help defense.

I think the next coach needs to be someone who's strengths aren't in X's and O's and game strategy, but more in player development and team management. Offensively, they've got a lot of weapons, and they use them pretty well. The Raptors lose their games almost solely on defense and their inability to stop penetration from the perimeter.

[OH-EIGHT]

apparently mitchell never taught the fast break, which is why calderon ran it so poorly...

[bigboom]

Originally posted by sexualbanana


I only slightly disagree with your point on this one. I don't think the Raptors need another X's and O's kind of coach, because they have one, and always did, with Triano. To me, their problems stem from their inability to play on-ball defense, which you can rationalize as being both Colangelo's fault and Mitchell's fault, as well. Like Jynx said, Colangelo's set the Raptors on this wide-open, 8-second posession offense (which isn't necessarily a bad idea), but they don't have the players to run it as effectively as the Suns did, plus we all saw what happened to the Suns when teams were able to slow them down and force them to run a half-court offense and defense. In a man-to-man defensive situation, the perimeter players are heavily outmatched and they rely too heavily on their big guys (O'Neal, Bosh, and even Bargnani) to bail them out with with their help defense.

I think the next coach needs to be someone who's strengths aren't in X's and O's and game strategy, but more in player development and team management. Offensively, they've got a lot of weapons, and they use them pretty well. The Raptors lose their games almost solely on defense and their inability to stop penetration from the perimeter.

If you look offensively though mitchell was always trying to get a lot of penetration where his roster had a lot more shooters, i'm not saying they should just shoot but you cant force a natural shooter to drive. it's also a big gap in the lineup is they dont have a 2 guard quick enough to keep up on the D of the guard's of the other teams so i agree their on ball D is terrible but its not like the off ball D is great either, ie. the carter tip in on the NJ loss. a better x's and o's coach would have guarded against that, hell i would have watched for that.

but youre right the perimeter D is weak and Colangelo needs to address that. Parker is decent but they need someone quicker to play the 2.

[OH-EIGHT]

Originally posted by bigboom


If you look offensively though mitchell was always trying to get a lot of penetration where his roster had a lot more shooters, i'm not saying they should just shoot but you cant force a natural shooter to drive. it's also a big gap in the lineup is they dont have a 2 guard quick enough to keep up on the D of the guard's of the other teams so i agree their on ball D is terrible but its not like the off ball D is great either, ie. the carter tip in on the NJ loss. a better x's and o's coach would have guarded against that, hell i would have watched for that.

but youre right the perimeter D is weak and Colangelo needs to address that. Parker is decent but they need someone quicker to play the 2.

yeah it sure doesnt help when kapono thinks hes a slasher and dribbles off his foot or travels

[holden]

obviously you don't want Kapono trying to penetrate... dude takes so few 3's for one of the best outside shooters in the league... but you'd like to see moon and parker slashing to the net, both for the fouls and to open up the outisde so they can kick out...

the Raps always rely on their bigs to draw in the defense and then kick it out... they really have nobody who is good at dribble pentration

[Jynx]

Originally posted by OH-EIGHT
apparently mitchell never taught the fast break, which is why calderon ran it so poorly...

Calderon is also not a fast break type of point guard. He is a half court point guard which any team that wants to compete for a championship needs. His skill set in a few years will be very similar to that of Tony Parkers today (read this in an article last night)

Honestly i believe the raptors are better suited for a slower, half court type game. When you factor in the skills of their bigs and their PG its clear that they should just be pounding the ball into them every posession, waiting for the double team then kicking it out for a wide open jumper (calderon/kapono/bargnani (not sure if he can shoot as well tho))

The biggest problem for the raptors rite now is their lack of athletic playmakers/slashers on the wing areas.

[malcolmk14]

Jeff Van Gundy coaching this team would be about the only thing that could make watching Raptors games worse than it already is.

[bigboom]

Originally posted by Jynx


Calderon is also not a fast break type of point guard. He is a half court point guard which any team that wants to compete for a championship needs. His skill set in a few years will be very similar to that of Tony Parkers today (read this in an article last night)

Honestly i believe the raptors are better suited for a slower, half court type game. When you factor in the skills of their bigs and their PG its clear that they should just be pounding the ball into them every posession, waiting for the double team then kicking it out for a wide open jumper (calderon/kapono/bargnani (not sure if he can shoot as well tho))

The biggest problem for the raptors rite now is their lack of athletic playmakers/slashers on the wing areas.

bargnani is a decent shooter with the ability for a decent inside game but they definitely need a slasher. and i agree with the halfcourt game, when they picked up J O'neal they got forced into it.

[signature7]

Originally posted by malcolmk14
Jeff Van Gundy coaching this team would be about the only thing that could make watching Raptors games worse than it already is.

It's a toss up between him or Isiah Thomas :rofl:

[aram1000]

saw this coming, they will probably go after Flip Saunders, though coaching wasn't the raptors problem, they are not a tough team, can't win games in the 4th, championship teams are tough, can buckle down and get stops, the raptors are not that kind of team, unless JO comes back really strong from injury and becomes a defensive monster, i think that will always be their problem.

[malcolmk14]

Isaiah Thomas would at least be entertaining to watch, as he destroys the team completely.

And I'll throw a legitimate LOL @ aram1000 for suggesting that Jermaine O'Neal could ever become an average defensive presence, let alone a defensive monster.

Chris Bosh on the other hand, could develop quite like Kevin Garnett into a defensive monster.

[signature7]

Originally posted by malcolmk14
Isaiah Thomas would at least be entertaining to watch, as he destroys the team completely.



:werd: but only to have him blame it on his daughter:rofl: Too soon? Barkley didn't think so.

[malcolmk14]

Colangelo is a smart dude so I don't see him making any stupid decisions. Flip Saunders sounds like a good idea to me.

[signature7]

Originally posted by malcolmk14
Colangelo is a smart dude so I don't see him making any stupid decisions. Flip Saunders sounds like a good idea to me.

:werd: :werd:

He earned his respect, not from his daddy's position. He came to T.dot while Sam Mitchell was still coach, now he gets to handpick the coach himself.

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by aram1000
saw this coming, they will probably go after Flip Saunders, though coaching wasn't the raptors problem, they are not a tough team, can't win games in the 4th, championship teams are tough, can buckle down and get stops, the raptors are not that kind of team, unless JO comes back really strong from injury and becomes a defensive monster, i think that will always be their problem.

O Neal just gives the Raptors size and strength so that they won't have to rely on Bosh to play both ends of the court. You saw what happened to Bosh last year when he not only had to guard the monster that is Dwight Howard, but since their offense revolved almost entirely around Bosh, he just got worn out. O Neal is the Raptors' answer to defending Howard which should free up Bosh on the offensive end.
I don't disagree with you that they're not a tough enough team. I've said all along that neither Garbajosa (who's not with the team anymore) nor Bargnani aren't really NBA-type power forwards. They were too small and not aggressive enough. Bargnani typically falls into the very-tall small forward-type of role, which I think suits him better.

[PGTze]

Originally posted by sexualbanana


O Neal just gives the Raptors size and strength so that they won't have to rely on Bosh to play both ends of the court. You saw what happened to Bosh last year when he not only had to guard the monster that is Dwight Howard, but since their offense revolved almost entirely around Bosh, he just got worn out. O Neal is the Raptors' answer to defending Howard which should free up Bosh on the offensive end.
I don't disagree with you that they're not a tough enough team. I've said all along that neither Garbajosa (who's not with the team anymore) nor Bargnani aren't really NBA-type power forwards. They were too small and not aggressive enough. Bargnani typically falls into the very-tall small forward-type of role, which I think suits him better.

Now that you bring him up, I realize that I completely forgot. Where the hell is Garbojosa, he was one of the Raptors better players last year.

[bigboom]

Originally posted by PGTze


Now that you bring him up, I realize that I completely forgot. Where the hell is Garbojosa, he was one of the Raptors better players last year.

you mean 2 years ago :)

he was injured and then Colangelo went after Spain because he played for them in the qualifiyng tourney and was injured there. so there was a monetary settlement and now he isnt in the league anymore.

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by bigboom


you mean 2 years ago :)

he was injured and then Colangelo went after Spain because he played for them in the qualifiyng tourney and was injured there. so there was a monetary settlement and now he isnt in the league anymore.

I know the Raptors were pissed that he played in the Qualifiers, but I thought they traded him?

EDIT: You're right. He got bought out.

[malcolmk14]

The Raptors are sort of victims of bad luck in this current NBA environment, too. Who on the team is supposed to be able to guard Dwight Howard? Who can guard LeBron James? Dwyane Wade would walk all over this team.

It's unfortunate, they have a decently talented team, but with these glaring matchup problems that can be exploited in a seven-game series, they're not going anywhere.

[bball2]

Hey maybe we're going to see a more Phoenix like style of gameplay with Jay Triano, that would be wicked.
The Phoenix Suns from 2004-2008 are officially dead, that game last night against the Mavericks was pathetic. Steve Kerr and Terry Porter have totally killed Mike D'Antoni's system.