<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Coaches Don't Like Changes <span style="font-style: italic">Sep 20</span> - In a conference call with members of the European media yesterday, Sam Mitchell did not seem over the moon with the idea of the Raptors holding training camp, and playing three pre-season games, in Europe this fall. </p> "We as basketball coaches don't like change and we don't like situations that you can't control, and right now, going with your team to another country for training camp with an eight-hour flight, in unfamiliar circumstances, doing things totally different, you're going to have to adapt," he said. "Because regardless of how everyone thinks and what everyone feels and how happy they may be, my job is to try and get this team ready to play; it just makes it more difficult when you're not in your familiar surroundings." </p> </p> Mitchell did add that it is "an honour" to be picked by the NBA to host training camp overseas, but that doesn't mean he is thrilled with the idea. The Raptors open camp on Oct. 1 in Treviso, Italy and play exhibition games on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 in Rome against the Boston Celtics and Lottomatica Vitrus Roma respectively, and then Oct. 11 against Real Madrid in the Spanish capital. -- Toronto Sun</div></p>
I understand where Sam is coming from. But I trust him to do a great job this year and still run a solid training camp. It is true though, for a coach, it is weird not to be in control. To be in a place you've never been and then try to get an NBA franchise ready to play.
I see where Sam is coming from, when they get back there gonna be really tired to start the season. And that might result in some tuff loses.</p> I agree with Smitch.</p>
I don't think this should be an excuse if the team gets off to a slow start. They'll be back home in plently of time to get used to things and this is largely the same team as last year.
I see this as a good and bad thing for the players and team. First the bad, theyre obviously in unfamiliar surroundings and moving from court to court pretty much every other day to practise is going to be tough and hard to adjust to compared to previous camps. The GOOD however IMO is that because the team is in a different country, they probably have no contacts which will force the players to stick together thus building a stronger bond between themselves, this should be good for the new faces like Kapono, Baston and Delfino. So in the end, yes the team may suffer from jetlag temporarily at the beginning of the season but this is an opportunity to build some strong team chemistry which will be good for the bigger picture.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sam Mitchell)</div><div class='quotemain'>Bah humbug!</div></p> Mitchell always seems afraid to overplay his hand, so he just acts grumpy all the time.</p> I don't mind the training camp being in Europe at all. It'll only improve upon one of our team's strongest characteristics: chemistry.</p>
