The Sam Mitchell Debate Ends This Season

The debate of Sam Mitchell and his status as head coach rages on in the fan base of the Toronto Raptors. There is even a website out there called Fire Sam Mitchell .com, I guess if Sam gets fired that site will be over. But I think they will have some more time to vent frustration. Going back to the playoffs last season the media was saying that Sam Mitchell was coaching for his future with the Raptors. However they were wrong when all was said and done. You can not think a series in which the Raptors only won one game saved Sam Mitchell’s job. Bryan Colangelo has had chances to end the relationship with Sam but has done nothing of the sorts. In fact Colangelo would come out in support of Mitchell and state clearly that Sam Mitchell would be the coach for the Raptors this season. This does not stop fans from speculating about the Future of Mitchell. If you post on any site you choose and say you support or don’t support Sam Mitchell you will get a variety of opinions

Some say that Mitchell can not coach and is not worthy of his Coach of Year Award. People say that Sam is not a great x’s and o’s coach. But you can counter that with the fact Mitchell seems to be able to motivate his players at a high level. As far has development of players he has had some huge success stories and some equal failures. Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh have taken huge strides under Mitchell. Jamario Moon is a guy that Mitchell can take pride in as well. On the other hand you have folks like Joey Graham and Andrea Bargnani who have not shown the improvement and development that you would like to see. There are lots of reasons to say Sam has been a success and lots to say he has not done enough. However it seems that this team believes in Sam and he has the support of the players in the locker room. Chris Bosh has always shown support for Sam Mitchell. Bosh as the leader of team sets the agenda and most of the players fall in line behind him. When Mitchell had his contract come up after his most successful season Bosh was among the many Raptors that expressed a desire to see Mitchell return.

The only place you find a lack of support for Mitchell is outside the organization. That being the media(Some) and Fans(Some). Sam has always been very what is the word for it? Let’s go with colourful in his relationship with the media. He always is willing to turn the fire back on the media if they ask something that he thinks is stupid. He claims that he understands they all have a job to do and he understands. He also says he never reads or watches anything they have to say. Who knows if that is the truth or not. Sam may be telling the truth or he might just be having fun about it. When I do interviews with folks I send them a copy of it. I feel people deserve to see how they are represented here. So if I am to believe Sam he would delete his copy. I guess the point is that some people in the media may not enjoy the fact that Sam is not afraid to make them look stupid. But the reality is Sam Mitchell is the best thing that happened to the Toronto Media in a long time. He is not content to just give the standard answer. He is funny and can make me luagh almost every time he is part of a scrum of reporters. When it comes to fans I don’t claim to understand why the folks that hate Sam Mitchell do so much. They really take it personally and paint Sam to be some kind of less than qualified idoit. I think that is far from the truth. Mitchell is after all still learning and growing as a coach. I admire his old school approach to coaching and the fact he rewards people that perform and hustle with a good work ethic.

That is likely why you see Jose Calderon as the starting point guard for this team. Mitchell is a huge fan of Jose and even said that if his own daughter was his age that is the type of person he would want her to date, a guy like Jose Calderon. It was Mitchell that has gone out of his way to point out what a team player that Jose has been. He even with T.J Ford around trusted Jose to be on the floor at the 2 most important moments of the last two seasons playoff final games for the Raptors. This no doubt did not sit well with Ford who had a relationahip with Mitchell prior to coming to Toronto as Mitchell coached Ford as an assistant in Milwaukee. That did not matter though as Sam stuck with Jose when it mattered most.

The trade that saw Ford sent to the Pacers was Bryan Colangelo’s deal but as Bryan has said he likes to build a consensus among the organization. Sam Mitchell is a big part of that. It is clear that he was on board with this trade and is excited about it. Jermaine O’Neal is a guy that is a Mitchell type player. He is a guy that brings it on the defensive end of the floor. Mitchell wants the Raptors to be a better defensive squad. You can say that Sam has failed to do the job in making the Raptors a better defensive team. The other side of that is you can say the Raptors have not had the people to perform the level of defense that Mitchell desires. The changes the Raptors have made are ones that should improve that. Beyond O’Neal you added Hassan Adams who can be a decent to good defender. Nathan Jawai can be the force on the glass that Mitchell has wanted for a long time. Bryan Colangelo is giving Mitchell a team that can hopefully be more like the one Sam Mitchell wants. This team that Sam Mitchell will be coaching is likely the closest one to being a team that can reflect the values that Mitchell desires to have. A team that can score the basketball but can also defend as well. No one is cheering louder for Chris Bosh at the Olympics more than Sam Mitchell. Mitchell has to be just drooling at the defensive play he has seen from his superstar Chris Bosh. You can bank that Mitchell will remind Chris of his Defensive performance over the summer daily during the season. The thought of a healthy O’Neal and the Bosh he is watching could mean a solid base for the Raptors defense.

The changes will also mean a different look on offense for the Raptors as well. Mitchell has said he has been studying tapes of the Spurs with Ducan and Robinson for ideas in how to do some of the same things with Bosh and O’Neal. The Raptors mode of attack should change and should be more based in the half court. This will speak to if Mitchell can indeed coach well from that X’s and O’s standpoint. He has a lot of weapons that he can use and should be able to get more out of the players that make up this roster. Guys like Anthony Parker and Jason Kapono should be guys that could benfit the most from the changes. More open looks from 3 point range. There should also be more room for players to drive to the basket. Jamario Moon could lead that charge to the basket. He is said to be working on getting bigger and stronger. But the biggest advantage for Sam Mitchell will be the fact that when O’Neal and Bosh are on the floor together teams can only double one of the two players. When you bring in Andrea Bargnani from the bench it is yet another guy that can score that teams will have to account for.

Many folks will try to making coaching into this complex thing that the average fan can not hope to understand. But make no mistake about it none of this is Rocket Science at all. Sam Mitchell would be the first to admit that. Schemes and play calling do matter and will matter but it is about the players making it happen.

When all is said and done this season will answer the questions once and for all about Sam Mitchell. He will need to adjust a lot of what the Raptors do to address the changes made to this roster. The offense and defense should look different and it will not just be the personal. To Sam Mitchell’s credit he has never pointed to injuries as a reason for losing. He will never allow his team to use injuries to explain things away. In a season in which “Health” is the word that everyone will mention in reference to the Raptors. If they stay healthy the could be a contender in the East. But if they do not many feel they will be doomed. Sam Mitchell will never allow that to enter his locker room if he can help it.

Sam Mitchell will be put to the test this season like never before. This will be a lot like the season he won the coach of the year. There are a lot of new faces and their should be some changes to the look of this team on the floor. The major difference is Sam Mitchell and this team have expectations and they are pretty large ones. Can this team meet them or will they fall short as they did last year. The playoffs and a series win is what many feel would be the least that would be acceptable. Sam Mitchell will need to embrace that challenge and get his team to as well.

Desptie what people may think about Sam and his time in Toronto it is clear no matter the result of this season that Sam will be a coach in the NBA again even if he was let go in Toronto. There were many teams interested in him when his contract came due with the Raptors. He has successfully made the transition from player to coach. Sure he is still learning but he has shown enough to make people take notice. Whatever happens this season should go a long way in ending the debate over Sam Mitchell as the Raptors coach once and for all. I won’t lie I am always pulling for Sam to prove his doubters wrong. He is far to entertaining and is a good person that has values as a coach that we don’t see much anymore. So I am pulling for Sam to show everyone what he has got as a coach this year. Those who do not llike Mitchell will be quick to call for his head if this season does not start off well.

I say give them hell Sam Mitchell and raise some yourself. Love him or Hate him Sam Mitchell will define his future this season. Mitchell as player was a hard worker and had to fight for respect. Mitchell as a coach has had to do the same. I respect him already but many do not and some never will. That is life, but Sam Mitchell love him or hate him will work hard to succeed and wants a team that will do the same. This season will give us the answer once and for all if Sam Mitchell is the man to lead this team to bigger and better things or if he is the guy that his the guy that his detractors claim him to be. I am sure of this Sam Mitchell welcomes the challenge to show he is worthy to lead this team. I think Rob Babcock did few things right in his time with the Raptors. In fact I think he only got 2 things right. He signed Jose Calderon and hired Sam Mitchell.

For More Stuff Like This Come Visit Us at Our New Home.

www.dinonationblog.com

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Parker, Bryan Colangelo, Chris Bosh, Hassan Adams, Jamario Moon, Jermaine O'Neal, Joey Graham, Jose Calderon, Nathan Jawai, Raptor Fans, Raptors 08/09, Rob Babcock