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SI: Mitchell's tough love prods Raptors
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:41 pm
by Rhettmatic
Entertaining read on pretty much all things Raptors:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/w ... index.html
"Everybody's worrying about Andrea. I'm not worried about Andrea," Mitchell said. "Because I understood a long time ago that Andrea is a young player and that Andrea has added to his game. Now you can't continue to do the same thing in the NBA because people are going to start taking things away from you, so your game has to evolve. And is it painful sometimes? Yes. But what's wrong with a young player going through some struggles? Isn't that what we do in life? Doesn't it build character? Doesn't it make you better when you come out on the other end? Don't it build toughness -- mental toughness -- and don't it make you appreciate everything? Andrea's working harder than he's ever worked before. So those are all the things you want him to learn. And I'm fine with that because his attitude's been great, his work ethic has been great. Him accepting what we're trying to teach him and working on it and bringing it to the practices and to the games has been great. So I look at those four things and I see all positive things. He's got talent, he wants to be great but it takes time. So my whole thing with Andrea is as long as he's in the right frame of mind and continues to get better, he'll make shots eventually."
Mods, feel free to merge with Daily Papers, but I thought because it was SI it deserved its own thread.
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:49 pm
by bychai
It was quiet. Mitchell said, "Is there anybody going to ask me something good?"
"Everybody's scared," I told him.
"Goooood," said Mitchell with the slightest grin. "Goooooood."
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:53 pm
by Slam Dunk!
bychai wrote:It was quiet. Mitchell said, "Is there anybody going to ask me something good?"
"Everybody's scared," I told him.
"Good," said Mitchell with the slightest grin. "Good."
(picture)
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:58 pm
by N1QUE24
Somebody asked if this was a big game for the Raptors in order to avoid a four-game season sweep by the Celtics.
"No," Mitchell answered. "This is the next game on our schedule. I don't even know how to answer the question."
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:02 pm
by Mascot
Mitchell is so sarcastic
I love ALL of his interviews.
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:03 pm
by Mack11
bychai wrote:It was quiet. Mitchell said, "Is there anybody going to ask me something good?"
"Everybody's scared," I told him.
"Good," said Mitchell with the slightest grin. "Good."
(picture)
lol
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:11 pm
by Nially
"Well, I don't believe that," said Mitchell, looking away. "I'm pleased with Jose. I have the utmost respect for Jose. He's worked, and I was tough on Jose. Ask Jose what was his name his rookie year. It wasn't 'Jose Calderon.' I'll let him tell you."
what was his name?
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:21 pm
by Rhettmatic
Nially wrote:"Well, I don't believe that," said Mitchell, looking away. "I'm pleased with Jose. I have the utmost respect for Jose. He's worked, and I was tough on Jose. Ask Jose what was his name his rookie year. It wasn't 'Jose Calderon.' I'll let him tell you."
what was his name?
It's later in the story.
Afterwards I asked Calderon what Mitchell used to called him.
"I cannot say that for the media," he said in his thick Spanish accent. "It was 'beeeeep rook.'" He made a long beeping noise to emphasize the abundance of syllables.
"In the beginning it was tough, because, you know, we didn't win many games," Calderon said. "He didn't let me practice sometimes. It was hard. But right now I am here because of him too. It was tough on me, but look, everything worked out. I feel really comfortable with him and with my teammates, so it's OK."
So Mitchell made you stronger?
"For sure, for sure," said Calderon. "I'm a better player because I have to wake up every day and work hard just to try to make it so he doesn't call me nothing."
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:24 pm
by Korr
Nially wrote:"Well, I don't believe that," said Mitchell, looking away. "I'm pleased with Jose. I have the utmost respect for Jose. He's worked, and I was tough on Jose. Ask Jose what was his name his rookie year. It wasn't 'Jose Calderon.' I'll let him tell you."
what was his name?
*beep rook
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:24 pm
by Jatt
According to Jose it was "Every-Swearword-You-Can-Imagine...Rook"
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:24 pm
by Duncanfan
Call him a madman, or an incompetant coach.. The guy sure knows how to get the best out of his players.. I was touched by what Jose said about his relationship with the smitch.
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:31 pm
by peteyjones13
haha smitch can be such a dick to reporters sometimes.
Asking him about Carlos Delfino, he could've just said a couple nice things about Delfino. The reporters weren't saying that Delfino is the only reason we've won games.
There are going to be dumb questions that you can respond sarcastically too. But Smitch responds to almost every question as if it's a completely idiotic question when very often it's not. I just find it kind of disrespectful. Like it's very funny, and i like it, and it's not a big deal either way, but be nice Smitch. lol
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:01 pm
by reck0n3r
Rhettmatic wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
Score another one for SomewhatDamaged.
Didn't I say that Bosh/Jose were 'nice guys' and were the type to take the abuse from smitch? And that I can't see andrea being too accepting of that kind of treatment?
Not surprised one bit.
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:06 pm
by Joker
I think Sam is like the king of the strawman sometimes.
Reporter: "You've lost your last 5 games. Why have you been struggling lately?"
Sam: "We're over .500 on the season, aren't we? I wouldn't call that struggling."
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:06 pm
by Rhettmatic
SomewhatDamaged wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
Score another one for SomewhatDamaged.
Didn't I say that Bosh/Jose were 'nice guys' and were the type to take the abuse from smitch? And that I can't see andrea being too accepting of that kind of treatment?
Not surprised one bit.
Hmm... that's not the way I read it. Different viewpoints, I guess.
Don't you think that Mitchell and Bargnani's relationship is better than some of us thought, though?
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:07 pm
by Vorticity
very good find, thnx!
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:18 pm
by bill russell
Jatt wrote:According to Jose it was "Every-Swearword-You-Can-Imagine...Rook"
i think he was suggesting that it was "mother#$%ing rook"
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:19 pm
by Joker
So Mitchell is banking on Bargnani to anchor our defence? That is frightening.
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:22 pm
by CreaM
SomewhatDamaged wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
Score another one for SomewhatDamaged.
Didn't I say that Bosh/Jose were 'nice guys' and were the type to take the abuse from smitch? And that I can't see andrea being too accepting of that kind of treatment?
Not surprised one bit.
Yea, Bosh and Jose are the softies that listen to their coach and do what he tells them. That explains why Bosh might be regarded as one of the worst top picks of all time and that Jose has not improved since his rookie season but taken a step backwards. Yea, they should both be hardasses like their fellow teammate and not talk to their coach for a month, believing that they know it all and it will sure take them to allstar status.
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:26 pm
by reck0n3r
Duncanfan wrote:Call him a madman, or an incompetant coach.. The guy sure knows how to get the best out of his players.. I was touched by what Jose said about his relationship with the smitch.
It's possible that andrea may turn it around with smitch after he puts his ego/attitude aside (as long as smitch knows what he's doing)...I mean it's possible that it works, but it's like smitch has turned all the players into big pussies such that they won't defend themselves on the court.
I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. You want your players to have an edge. Our guys don't have that..be it due to their innate 'niceness' or due to smitch dulling their edges after 'breaking' them, they just don't have enough cajones.