<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The Raptor coach, whose club will play almost half its pre-season games against non-NBA teams, would rather not face the likes of Lottomatica Roma, Real Madrid and Zalgiris Kaunas.</p> While those games may be great for marketing and "growing the game" it's not an ideal way for a team to get ready, Mitchell said here yesterday.</div></p> The Toronto Star</p>
He's been really negative of having traning camp and playing pre-season games in Europe, thats not what I call a good ambassador of the NBA.</p>
And whats wrong with playing euro teams? they're not that bad.and some of them could even beat half the teams in our leauge. He should be proud his team was chosen to play in europe. they'll get more fans that way, which is always good.</p>
Well, that isn't his job. He is just not used to it. It is a new environment for him, but it isn't a long term thing.</p>
Even though he may not like the situation he is in currently he doesnt really have to be so vocal about it...every little article or update I read so far of the Raptor's trip to Europe he always had something negative to say, I think the COY award is getting to his head.</p>
I have to disagree with you. His COY really means nothing this year. He won it because he took 9 new guys and took the Raptors to the playoffs. The reason he is negative is probably because he just doesn't like his surroundings. He would prefer to be in Toronto or the USA to play with NBA caliber teams so get used to them. So far, only Boston is the team they will play that means anything. They won't be playing Roma for a playoff spot.</p> So yes, sometimes I would prefer they play NBA teams more, but this Euro Training camp is still an honour.</p>
WHen I made that comment I was saying it in a jokingly fashion.....hard to pick up on the internet but yeah in a way I would rather have the Raptors play NBA teams in the pre-season but this trip probably will build team chemisty and prove to be benefical in the long run.</p>
Oh, my bad bro. Lol.</p> This trip "could" build more chemistry, but I doubt it. They are in Rome, Bargnani's home town, so we know he is hounded by the media. Sam Mitchell isn't to happy with this trip, so right there isn't a happy coach. I think playing in the US, would be just a good chemistry maker, as going to a place where the media hounds your 1st round draft pick, and so on. But this is still a good training camp.</p>
His job this summer is to prepare the team for the NBA season. You can't really argue with him that having training camp in Toronto would allow him and the team to focus more intently. These guys are all millionaires so they can vacation anywhere on their own time--training camp is supposed to be hard work.</p> But yeah, he is cranky, too. That's Sam.</p>
I personally think Sam's feeling the pressure a little bit. I know everyone will say that last season his job was on the line, but he really coached like there was nothing to lose. Now he has to build on a suprisingly good season, with a team that may have overachieved at times and against much improved competition. This is where coaching can play a deciding factor between a team faltering in its second year or taking the next step to contention. And the fact that he won the CoY award will mean that kind of performance will be expected instead of applauded. ... that or he's just being his usual ornery self.</p> </p>
