<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">We're happy you're here, but don't dump our coach. That's the message Raptor players are delivering to Bryan Colangelo, and key among those messengers is all-star and franchise player Chris Bosh. Bosh has spoken to the new GM and made no bones about his loyalty to head coach Sam Mitchell. While acknowledging it's a GM's prerogative to insert his own guy as coach, Bosh told reporters the team backs Mitchell and his crew. "I made sure I expressed my liking of the coaching staff we have right now. All I can do is add my two cents because at the end of the day he (Colangelo) is going to make his decision. But I think if we as a group express how happy we are with the coaching staff now, he might listen to us,'' Bosh said yesterday. When asked if the team is close to unanimous support for their head coach, Bosh replied: "I'd say so,'' adding Colangelo has told the players he is open to their feedback. Bosh went on to say that with the combination of Mitchell and his staff, plus Colangelo ? whom Bosh said brings "good credentials and a good history'' ? and former interim GM Wayne Embry, who remains a consultant, the club's future doesn't seem so distant. `I made sure I expressed my liking of the coaching staff we have right now. All I can do is add my two cents.' Chris Bosh "They're talking about right now or next year being a playoff team,'' Bosh said. When the team fired Rob Babcock as GM in January, Bosh ? who is pondering whether to sign a long-term contract extension with the team this summer ? said he was troubled by all the change he has seen in just his third season with the team. Babcock was his second general manager. Mitchell is his second coach. Though Bosh said he's "no closer, no farther'' to making a decision on his future, the hiring of Colangelo is a "step'' in the right direction. Mitchell, under contract through next season, was a rookie coach when he started last season with the Raptors. Since then, he has a 53-85 record.</div> Source
I don't know why Bosh can't see that they're never going to be a top team as long as they have someone that doesn't know how to coach defense. We have already lost many winnable games because Mitchell is clueless at the end of games. I'd much rather Colangelo have someone brought in, no matter what Bosh seems to prefer. Hopefully, once Colangelo watches more of our games, he'll realize that Mitchell will not be able to bring us to the next level (if he hasn't already).
I think Bosh is seeing Mitchell's work with the player's over his x's and o's. If I can give one thing to Mitchell, its that he's a great motivator and seems to be able to get the player's to improve themselves. I suppose Mitchell has worked a lot with Bosh since last season, and Bosh probably gives some credit to Mitchell for him being an All-Star. They definitely seem to have a great sense of understanding on and off the court.
THANK YOU CHRIS. I hope you guys can all see that according to Bosh Mitchell has unanimous (or close to it) support amongst players on the Raptors, which is more then many coaches can say. Also, in my opinion Sam Mitchell is a very solid offensive coach an as time moves will improve defensively, and people have to remeber this is only his second year as a head coach, he was playing in the NBA not too long ago. I also think that we need some stability for once and for all, and giving Mitchell and extension will give us some which we haven't had in some time. I'm not saying Mitchell's perfect, I'm just saying give the guy a chance to succeed. As for the people who say that whether Mitchell stays with the Raptors will have nothing to do with whether CB4 re-signs or not, I think your dead wrong. CB4 has many times stated his allegiance to Sam, and I certainly think the firing of Sam would definetely lessen our chances of re-signing CB4, which we absolutley must do.
We could always pull the Larry Bird move: Re-sign Bosh while he's under the impression that Mitchell's coming back and then bring in another coach. It worked in Indiana and Jermaine O'neal eventually got over it. But then again, I wouldn't want to start Bosh's new contract with that kind of trickery.
I think Bosh is so high on Mitchell because he only had two coaches thus far in his nba career and that other coach he had was Kevin O'Neill.... so when you have those two to compare, it's no wonder he thinks Mitchell is such a competent head coach.... Well I trust Colangelo will know what's best for this team (even more so than Bosh) and if he chooses a new head coach, hopefully he can convince Bosh that it's for the best.... If he does choose to keep Mitchell however, I hope he gets him an offensive specialist cuz some those plays he runs (if you can actually call them plays) have no creativity what-so-ever.... But in terms of getting the best out of his players and having a good relationship with them, I think he's done an expectional job with that.....
uhhhhh .... are all you guys trying to say that you know better than Chris Bosh or any of the other players on the team??? Cuz that's what it sounds like. What about Mike James? He played for Larry Brown, Mo Pete has played for a few different coaches, etc etc. All these players have lived ball for years and know good coaching from bad coaching. And it's our defense that needs work, not offense. We can score just fine, and for those that say we can't close out close games, most of the time we can't hold big leads which in turn leads to games we can't close out.
it would be funny if they pull a indiana and tell them there gunna keep mitchell resign bosh to a huge contact then fire mitchell like indiana did with oneil and thomas
no actually that wouldn't be very funny in the opninion of almost all Raptors fans. Mitchell is a solid coach and you do not disrespect your franchise player by doing that. You go back to your little New Jersey forum with the 2 other people who post for the nest, and stay out of Raptors conversations because you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.
ok dude its a JOKE indiana did it to oneil and i was making a comparison because there both franchise powerfowards who loved their coach, and if anyone should be offended if shuold be indiana
The way you said it, it didn't sound like a joke. And Indiana can only blame themselves as they decided to fire thomas, so I don't see how it would offend them.
^ because oneil loved thomas so they signed oneil to a max deal then they fired thomas the week later and oneil said he wouldnt of resigned if they fired them and he told indiana he wouldnt of resigned, and the reason he didnt leave ask for a trade was because he was one of the poeple who said he wanted carisle or how ever u spell his name
