| New Coach, Old Habits Authored by Gagan Gandhi - December 11, 2008 - 2:59 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
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A player’s desire to win should be there all season long and most of the time it is. It’s just that sometimes you need a wakeup call and a reminder that by playing your best, you don’t just help the team but you help yourself and your families. Usually, a coaching change does help in that aspect, but it didn’t when the Toronto Raptors fired head coach Sam Mitchell and replaced him with Canadian born Jay Triano.
Wednesday’s effort against former Raptors TJ Ford and Rasho Nesterovic, as well as the rest of the Indiana Pacers, should have come much earlier in Triano’s tenure as head coach. It was a good effort by a bunch of players who have not seen consistent minutes all season long because of Sam Mitchell’s unwillingness to stick with players through slumps.
Admittedly though, I am not a Triano supporter and do not think he is the right coach for this team.
I don’t understand the point in firing your head coach, only to replace him with someone from his coaching staff. Don’t get me wrong, I have much respect for Jay Triano and what he’s done as a Canadian for the game of basketball in Canada, but he is not what they need right now. Even though he prefers a different style of basketball than Mitchell, one that’s faster paced and gives your wing players a lot more freedom to run up the court. But at the end of the day, he’s a guy who was one of Mitchell’s right hand men and is a voice the players have already heard.
So far, Bryan Colangelo has said that Jay Triano will be his coach for –at the very least, the rest of the season. Personally, I believe Colangelo is just trying to protect himself in case he doesn’t find a big name coach to replace Mitchell. It’s what most of the fan base is asking for, but if a guy such as Jeff Van Gundy, Flip Saunders or Avery Johnson aren’t willing to come North of the border, then he can say that he was going to stick with Triano all along. The man talks as sharp as he dresses.
Coaches may never win you a game, but they sure as hell will lose you one. It’s the reason Mitchell is now gone. However, it’s also the reason that Colangelo show now hire a top coach to take this team to the next level, it’s nice he’s giving Triano a chance, but realistically come next off-season this team will probably look much different than it is now, especially if they fail to advance to the second round of the playoffs this season. The Raptors should want a coach that fans of other teams are jealous of and while watching the game say “damn that’s a good play, I wish we had him coaching our team.” I don’t think that’s been said about a Raptors coach since the Butch Carter days, but then again not every team since then has had a Vince Carter in his prime. Oh, if only he didn’t disappoint in the latter years ...anyways, I digress.
One recent star’s behavior –since we are on the Carter topic, which Colangelo hopes doesn’t become a trend is All-star Chris Bosh’s seemingly uninterested behavior in a few losses this season. He doesn’t wear a captain’s “C” on his jersey, but anyone with even the slightest basketball knowledge knows that he is the leader, on the court and off the court. As he goes the team goes, so when he’s not satisfied with the outcome of a game and decides to pout and sit by himself on the bench, it doesn’t look good on the Raptors as an organization. Plus, it’s just more ammunition for the United States media because they bounce at every chance they get to suggest Bosh will be leaving town following the 2009-10 campaign. Don’t you just love that?
Of course, it’s early only past the quarter mark in the season and no doubt if the Raptors continue their losing ways, a 1-5 record in their last 6, more changes will be made. To what extent has yet to be seen though.
Losing is never acceptable for the management of any sports team; it’s even less acceptable for the fans of the Toronto Raptors. And if it continues, you can bet the coach won’t be the last one to go. As a wise man once said, “Fire the coach. Trade Everyone.”
- Gagan Gandhi can be reached at gaganhoops@gmail.com with any comments, concerns or requests. |
