Our Coaching Staff and Their Ineffciency

[ForeverTFC]

Ill start out this thread by stating that i've been reading this forum for a long time. I barely ever post unless i feel i have a valid point. So dont take this as a bash thread, as I would love to get some opinions and maybe figure out some answers to some of my problems.

Now to the topic, I love Sam Mitchell's personality as much as the next guy, but sometimes i feel he gets a pass because of it.

It looks to me, that the Raptors do not have much creativity. Other then the pick and roll, or swinging the ball around the premieter, we really do not do anything else. It shows in some games where if Bosh is not converting, or if we cant hit our shots with the ball swinging along the premieter we absolutly suck!

One thing i dont understand about this team is the lack of offball screens. How many times do you see teams set 1 or 2 screens to free up a player to get the shot. On a game like last night where Barngnani was hot, why was there not any plays off the ball to give Bargs a little room. We've seen lately that Bargs will drive if he has a defender running at him or he has some room for his first step. Should this not be on the coach to set up a play of the ball to get a player like him open. This team does absolutly nothing off the ball, which makes you think: what the hell do they do in practice. I think this could aslo be applied for Kapono. I mean all he needs is an inch of space. Why cant we set some screens for him to run through? Its like having a sniper gun but not even using it.

Another issue i have is why Mitchell insists on teaching lessons? How can Humph get a CNDP along with Joey. The whole game, it was evident we needed someone to clog up that lane and knock some players around. The lakers almost had Bosh scared with their physical play. Why not play your two physical guys on a night where Bosh wasnt doing much. Why cant we slide Bargs to PF and use Humph at the C. I mean if your willing to let Juan Dixon gaurd Kobe Bryant ( ) this doenst sound that crazy.

I think last night showed how bad of a coach Sam Mitchell really is. I think a lineup of

Jose
Delfino
Joey
Bargs
Humph

might have been worth trying. Let Bargs and Jose take care of the scoring, while Delfino takes care of Kobe and when Kobe goes to drive the lane bring in Joey for the double and a couple of hard fouls. Maybe he would have thought twice about going in. Hes an NBA coach, why did he not utilize his players?

[rapz**7**]

I'd watch out if I we're you. Some people think Sam is a god around here.

[ayo_23]

I'd watch out if I we're you. Some people think Sam is a god around here.

did you forget the green font?

[Nolan]

He went with the guys who were playing good and deserved playtime. I was a little suprised Hump didn't play but with the way Joey's been playing he doesn't deserve any playtime.

I also don't understand how you can say we don't run enough off ball screens, we run alot of them.

Sam's a good coach and everyone makes mistakes.

[ForeverTFC]

Im very curious though to be honest with you. I read this forum everyday so thats why i opened the way i did because i wanted some discussion. I just dont understand our lack of off ball movement. On offence and defence. Its just mind boggoling.

[Kabookalu]

Forget about the offensive end, wtf do they do in practice about defense?!

[ForeverTFC]

He went with the guys who were playing good and deserved playtime. I was a little suprised Hump didn't play but with the way Joey's been playing he doesn't deserve any playtime.

I also don't understand how you can say we don't run enough off ball screens, we run alot of them.

Sam's a good coach and everyone makes mistakes.

When do we stop treating this like house league? Yesterday was the perfect game for Joey. Tell him "dont shoot! Only dunks! KNOCK OUT KOBE!!!" and send him out there. Kobe was having a picnic in our own home court, thats absolutly disgusting.

[CB4-TJ11-AB7]

Watch some tape we run a lot of off ball screens, AP gets about 4 a game and Kapono gets about 3. The problem with our offense is the limited skill set of our guys. They are all very alike and the 2 guys who are different don't care to utilize their edge. Chuckfino does as his name states and Moon refuses to just drive.

We need to do something with both our coaching staff and players. I still say Sam is the right coach but we need to employ a Larry Bird type coaching staff. An offensive coordinator, a defensive guy, a big man guy, and a shooting guy. We also need to go out and get players that are versatile, we are so unathletic its embarrassing.

[CB4-TJ11-AB7]

-= original quote snipped =-




When do we stop treating this like house league? Yesterday was the perfect game for Joey. Tell him "dont shoot! Only dunks! KNOCK OUT KOBE!!!" and send him out there. Kobe was having a picnic in our own home court, thats absolutly disgusting.

We've been telling Joey to do this for 3 seasons now, do you expect him to all of a sudden get it.

[TheMainEvent]

Well, if you are a frequent reader of these forums, as you said, I think you'd know that many posters here agree that the Raptors don't actually 'run plays' or set stuff up with the Xs and Os. I'd think most people agree that it's mainly because of Sam Mitchell. It's been said many many times.

And speaking for myself, I know I've said quite a bit that the reason Kapono hasn't been producing lately is because he doesn't get any open looks. And that's more because of our lack of play-calling and our coaching than it is about his talent. It's not that hard for 2-3 guys to set good off-ball screens and get Kapono 2 seconds of freedom outside.

It's more evident when you see the Raptors often going for the last shot of the game. Mitchell doesn't seem to run anything... when TJ was playing, the Raptors would just let him do whatever the hell he wants. Seems to be the same thing with Calderon. Sometimes Ford/Calderon make the good decision, sometimes they dont, but you can clearly see Mitchell didn't really set anything up. He just tells Ford and Calderon to do whatever they want, while everybody else just try and get the rebound.


Edited to add this:
His style of coaching and style of game is the same as how he played when he was a player: hustle, defence, and rebounding. He wasn't a good shooter; he wasn't a play-maker. So it's logical that his style of coaching would be the same.

Unfortunately for him, Colangelo is the total opposite. Colangelo doesn't look for bangers and hustle guys, he looks for nice guys who know how to shoot. That's why I think Smitch just lets his guys do whatever they want offensively out on the floor, but to make sure and hustle, rebound, and play defence.

[djsunyc]

this is sam's 3rd year coaching. he's learning on the job.

but a coach is as good as his roster. when you look at this team and roster, do you feel the raptors are overachieving, underachieving, or playing at the level they should?

if you think we're overachieving, then sam is a great coach.
if you think we're underachieving, then sam is a bad coach.
if you think we're playing how we should, then sam is not the problem.

it's very easy to blame the coach. but i don't think this is on sam.

yes, sometimes his rotations make me scratch my head BUT look at his players, how many of them can play offense AND defense? do we have guys that can create on their own when defenses clamp up? there's nothing sam can do as a coach b/c the personnel just isn't in place yet.

it's why doc rivers was the head coach of a 20 win team last year, and may be the coach of a 55+ win team this year.

it always comes down to the players.

[djsunyc]

then, let's look at players development...

is bosh better today than he was 2 years ago? a resounding yes.
tj was having his best year as a pro.
jose is having his best year.
only player that's been worse this year has been bargs.

so 3 out of 4 ain't bad from a coaching standpoint.

[Andiamo]

kapono is the reigning 3 pt champ.knocks down 23 out of 25 in the gym practising for the allsttar game contest.AND GETS NO LOOKS IN THE GAME...blame sam.its almost ridiculous to have signed him for that huge of a contract to have him come in to play d.

andrea one of our most gifted players is told to abandon what he does best to be a scrub jyd type.blame sam.

i can go on with sam and his "life lessons" to make them better ballers.sam likes to deconstruct his ballers so he can take credit after he's made a mess of them.

[omeloon]

I think we need a good defensive assistant coach - someone like our former head coach Kevin O'Neil. Mitchell has done a solid job developing players, and he's been improving at everything, but we still need a guy who's going to take over our defense. It's sad how many wide open threes the other team's best shooters get, and how many easy layups we see. A lot of that could be fixed with a better defensive plan.

[ForeverTFC]

Im confused with the way we use kapono as the next guy. I think last night when we were down by about ten, kapono was put into the game. But the guy took no shots. What is he in there for? I just dont understand how you can have such a weapon and not be able to use it.

Yeah sam is developing with out players, yeah hes been learning but dont you think we need a proven coach to teach our players a little bit more. Im not just blaming him, im pointing a finger at the entire staff. It needs a changeup, or it needs an addition. There is just something missing.

And to add another point, why do we always stop using the hot hand. If a guys hot, run his some plays, give him some touches. Hell probably hit the second one, if the first one dosnt go.

[dacrusha]

The problem isn't the coaching staff, the problem is the fans' expectations that we are an elite team that are on par with the Pistons and Lakers of the league

[HighOctane]

then, let's look at players development...

is bosh better today than he was 2 years ago? a resounding yes.
tj was having his best year as a pro.
jose is having his best year.
only player that's been worse this year has been bargs.

so 3 out of 4 ain't bad from a coaching standpoint.

Put basketball players that are very talented out on the floor and generally good things will happen.

I agree with pretty much everything the OP stated. Sam Mitchell has been overlooked. He does do great little things like take a reporters mic and interrogate the reporters, but other than that, he does not prove to be the elaborate coach of a championship.

Coach of the Year was given to the team with the most evident success, which was us.

[elmer_yuck]

andrea one of our most gifted players is told to abandon what he does best to be a scrub jyd type.blame sam.

Gifted at what?

[Nolan]

-= original quote snipped =-




When do we stop treating this like house league? Yesterday was the perfect game for Joey. Tell him "dont shoot! Only dunks! KNOCK OUT KOBE!!!" and send him out there. Kobe was having a picnic in our own home court, thats absolutly disgusting.

Easier said than done. This isn't the 70's and people need to realize that, there's no room for in the NBA for players going out and intentionly injurying other guys. And if that were to happen Joey and Sam would and should be tossed out the league.

[AB_21]

I've said this and I'll say it again. Every team in the NBA runs this play.

1


2

B

1=forward
2=bosh
B=basket.

1 passes the ball to 2 and cuts behind him. That way if they want to double up on 2, 1 cuts right through and a dunk. It also buys Chris some time to evaluate his options. EVERY TEAM DOES IT. It works once or twice a game