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DJ Cries: Raptors fire SMitch
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nyk4ever
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12/3/2008  5:34 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3742874

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. 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.
"OMG - did we just go on a two-trade-wining-streak?" -SupremeCommander
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K22
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12/3/2008  5:37 PM
That's just not right at all.
-- the preceding post was brought to you by the letter K and the number 22.
djsunyc
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12/3/2008  5:51 PM
he lost the team. it's the first season the raps had expectations placed on them so smitch didn't have as big a leash as he had the past few years. his playbook was limited and he was constantly outcoached game to game. now, it's not all on smitch but he wasn't doing a good job. effort dropped lately and the team looked lost. so a change had to be made. (plus his postseason record is 3-8).

i liked smitch but i could see that his pros as a coach did not outweigh his cons. he's a developing coach but the team is not trying to develop, they are trying to win now.

triano may get the rest of the season. avery was being discussed (and possibly flip).

colangelo also knows the team needs a major upgrade at the 2/3 spot but it's tough to make a deal since they don't have that many moveable assets and they are handcuffed a bit by the luxury tax.

[Edited by - djsunyc on 12-03-2008 5:59 PM]
nyk4ever
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12/3/2008  6:07 PM
DJ.. you think a new coach will keep Bargs at the 3?
"OMG - did we just go on a two-trade-wining-streak?" -SupremeCommander
djsunyc
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12/3/2008  6:18 PM
Posted by nyk4ever:

DJ.. you think a new coach will keep Bargs at the 3?

bargs at the 3 says more about how much moon stinks this year. unless a coach is going to exploit his height advantage at the 3 (something smitch didn't do), then he should be the first big off the bench...
nyk4ever
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12/3/2008  6:43 PM
Posted by djsunyc:
Posted by nyk4ever:

DJ.. you think a new coach will keep Bargs at the 3?

bargs at the 3 says more about how much moon stinks this year. unless a coach is going to exploit his height advantage at the 3 (something smitch didn't do), then he should be the first big off the bench...

Interesting. For some reason coming off the bench doesn't seem like the best role for Bargs (I know they have no choice since they have Bosh and JOneal but still)
"OMG - did we just go on a two-trade-wining-streak?" -SupremeCommander
tkf
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12/3/2008  7:08 PM
Colangelo now has an excuse.. LOL..

Sam is a great guy, he will get another HC job.. my fellow mercer alumni will be fine....
Anyone who sits around and waits for the lottery to better themselves, either in real life or in sports, Is a Loser............... TKF
djsunyc
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12/3/2008  7:12 PM
Posted by tkf:

Colangelo now has an excuse.. LOL..

Sam is a great guy, he will get another HC job.. my fellow mercer alumni will be fine....

by firing smitch, he no longer has an excuse...
kam77
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12/3/2008  7:17 PM
All good moves for the Bosh to NY plan.
lol @ being BANNED by Martin since 11/07/10 (for asking if Mr. Earl had a point). Really, Martin? C'mon. This is the internet. I've seen much worse on this site. By Earl himself. Drop the hypocrisy.
colorfl1
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12/3/2008  7:45 PM
not right... smitch always had coaches whispering behind his back to management to get a leg up... his teams always came on strong in the 2nd half... they let a good man go before the team caught its run...
GallOfFame
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12/3/2008  7:49 PM
Posted by djsunyc:

he lost the team. it's the first season the raps had expectations placed on them so smitch didn't have as big a leash as he had the past few years. his playbook was limited and he was constantly outcoached game to game. now, it's not all on smitch but he wasn't doing a good job. effort dropped lately and the team looked lost. so a change had to be made. (plus his postseason record is 3-8).

i liked smitch but i could see that his pros as a coach did not outweigh his cons. he's a developing coach but the team is not trying to develop, they are trying to win now.

triano may get the rest of the season. avery was being discussed (and possibly flip).

colangelo also knows the team needs a major upgrade at the 2/3 spot but it's tough to make a deal since they don't have that many moveable assets and they are handcuffed a bit by the luxury tax.

[Edited by - djsunyc on 12-03-2008 5:59 PM]

Colangelo has wanted to fire Mitchell for a long time now. This season really was more so the nail in the coffin. He stood behind Smitch more so for publicity reasons than anything else. People in Toronto and in major media circles like Smitch but Colangelo's ego is larger than life itself. He watches every home game from the Tunnel Isiah style 2004-2006.

I saw this coming but didn't say anything because it was more than obvious. The game I believe sealed his fate was their home game against Toronto which went into overtime, where Carter and and Harris went off and pulled out a win. There was a point during regulation after Carter hit the 3 to send it into overtime, the camera panned to Colangelo standing in the tunnel and I read his lips he said "This Is F'N ridiculous....mumbles something which seemed to the effect of...We're not going to put up with this".

The guy has been touted as a Top exec even before his arrival in Toronto, but landing on his own two feet there only catapulted his already overinflated ego of himself.

Whittman's next

then

Dunleavy
djsunyc
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12/4/2008  5:48 AM
colangelo gave smitch a 4 year contract after his COY season. what makes you say he wanted to fire him for a while now?

smitch's strength as a coach was having the player's respect and having them play hard. his weakness was game preparation and x's and o's. his playbook was small and he was outcoached within games many times. last season, bargs had a down year. game 1 of the playoffs vs. orlando he *starts* him at the SF spot and the raps go on to get blitzed.

this season, the team started playing less than hard and started looking aloof. this is nothing about colangelo's ego, it's 100% on smitch's coaching ability. he had bargs starting at the 3 and guarding melo after spending the whole summer learning to play the center spot and gaining weight. the team had expectations put on them and smitch's learning curve wasn't up to speed.

[Edited by - djsunyc on 12-04-2008 05:51 AM]
djsunyc
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12/4/2008  5:56 AM
Posted by colorfl1:

not right... smitch always had coaches whispering behind his back to management to get a leg up... his teams always came on strong in the 2nd half... they let a good man go before the team caught its run...

raps had a strong 2nd half 2 seasons ago when he won COY. they tanked it the 2nd half of last year and have been around .500 since midway through last season.

smitch is a good man, and i like him. but he's not a good coach yet. the team needs a good coach now, they are not a rebuilding team. he's a tailor made coach for a young/rebuilding team with no expectations that needs to play hard every night. but once you have to start winning games and there's expectations, he's not that guy yet.

[Edited by - djsunyc on 12-04-2008 06:02 AM]
djsunyc
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12/4/2008  10:40 AM
GallOfFame
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12/4/2008  12:17 PM
Posted by djsunyc:

colangelo gave smitch a 4 year contract after his COY season. what makes you say he wanted to fire him for a while now?

smitch's strength as a coach was having the player's respect and having them play hard. his weakness was game preparation and x's and o's. his playbook was small and he was outcoached within games many times. last season, bargs had a down year. game 1 of the playoffs vs. orlando he *starts* him at the SF spot and the raps go on to get blitzed.

this season, the team started playing less than hard and started looking aloof. this is nothing about colangelo's ego, it's 100% on smitch's coaching ability. he had bargs starting at the 3 and guarding melo after spending the whole summer learning to play the center spot and gaining weight. the team had expectations put on them and smitch's learning curve wasn't up to speed.

[Edited by - djsunyc on 12-04-2008 05:51 AM]



Nah he can't accept the fact Barg's is really not all that good of a player to be selected as the #1 pick and he has players who are by nature horrible defenders. Raptors problems lie with their defense. Actually they scratched the idea he could play center because he couldn't bulk up enough. He's only put on 10lbs since he's been in the league if that. The simple fact they can't define his true position is more telling of the guy that drafted him than anything else.

[Edited by - GallOfFame on 12-04-2008 12:26 PM]
colorfl1
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12/4/2008  12:25 PM
I was in the 4 Seasons lounge in Toronto about year ago in Downtown Toronto...
SMitch was having drinks with Larry Brown's brother...

I overheard him exasperated as he related to his freind how there were few people on his staff that he could trust not to cross him with management, as they were all gunning for his job.
He said he was just going to focus on having the team play hard, especially on D, and let the cards fall where they may...
He was exasperated the BryanC kept pressuring him to give Bargnagni heavy minutes... stating that the kid is simply not ready to be starter in the NBA has to learn how not to play soft before he warrants heavy minutes.

BryanC put his spotless reputation on drafting the Italian Stringbean so high in the draft...
BryanC really wants to find the next Mike D... to have the team spreading the floor and playing euro speedball.
SMitch is old school and believes winning teams are built on D.

Hence, the parting of the ways...
djsunyc
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12/4/2008  12:33 PM
the bargs pick will most likely be colangelo's legacy in toronto...

i think d'antoni would be coaching there if the suns allowed him to talk to toronto.

colangelo did acquire jermaine so he's not 100% euro like everyone thinks...

[Edited by - djsunyc on 12-04-2008 12:34 PM]
GallOfFame
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12/4/2008  12:37 PM
Posted by colorfl1:

I was in the 4 Seasons lounge in Toronto about year ago in Downtown Toronto...
SMitch was having drinks with Larry Brown's brother...

I overheard him exasperated as he related to his freind how there were few people on his staff that he could trust not to cross him with management, as they were all gunning for his job.
He said he was just going to focus on having the team play hard, especially on D, and let the cards fall where they may...
He was exasperated the BryanC kept pressuring him to give Bargnagni heavy minutes... stating that the kid is simply not ready to be starter in the NBA has to learn how not to play soft before he warrants heavy minutes.

BryanC put his spotless reputation on drafting the Italian Stringbean so high in the draft...
BryanC really wants to find the next Mike D... to have the team spreading the floor and playing euro speedball.
SMitch is old school and believes winning teams are built on D.

Hence, the parting of the ways...


They never were a good match. Colangelo never provided Smitch with any JYD type players. He gave him a team full of finesse. The league will figure you out in time. The team is missing that Stephen Jackson, Reggie Evans type factor. O'neal does help with interior defense but he's not tough, his attitude is more front run type fizzle.

[Edited by - GallOfFame on 12-04-2008 12:38 PM]
djsunyc
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12/4/2008  12:40 PM
garbo getting a career ending injury didn't help either...

don't forget salmons backing out last minute too...

raps biggest weakness is at the sg/sf spot. they are bottom tier in the league in that department. if they can get a wing player, they would have close to a complete team...

it ain't easy building a team in the league.

it all hinges on bargs...but colangelo has shown in the past that he will move anybody on the roster even if he brought them in and gave them deals...

[Edited by - djsunyc on 12-04-2008 12:42 PM]
GallOfFame
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12/4/2008  1:04 PM
Posted by djsunyc:

garbo getting a career ending injury didn't help either...

don't forget salmons backing out last minute too...

raps biggest weakness is at the sg/sf spot. they are bottom tier in the league in that department. if they can get a wing player, they would have close to a complete team...

it ain't easy building a team in the league.

it all hinges on bargs...but colangelo has shown in the past that he will move anybody on the roster even if he brought them in and gave them deals...

[Edited by - djsunyc on 12-04-2008 12:42 PM]


That's why I mentioned Stephen Jackson not to say he'd be the end all solution but he's the type of player they need. He plays defense guarding multiple positions(Remember how he manhandled Dirk in the playoffs?). He can stretch a defense tremendously with his range, he can take anyone off the dribble, he can play in the post if necessary. He'd compliment Bosh and O'neal that's for sure if when in the post passing out to Bosh at the elbow if the defense cheats or he can take it himself and you'd have 2 front court players crashing the boards. He could find Calderon or Kapono spotted up from the exact set. He's probably not available, and he just signed an extension, so he's probably not on their radar, but he'd be a nice addition.
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