The thought of Sam Mitchell being considered an NBA coach of the year candidate would have been laughable at the start of the season. Many observers didn’t project him to make it to the end of the season. But Mitchell has helped rejuvenate the Toronto Raptors, one of the surprise stories in the league.
“It means I’m blessed,” said Mitchell, about coach of the year talk. “I have a great organization behind me and a great group of players. You know what, those type of awards are important. But what’s important to me is that the players feel like I’m there with them, I got their back, I’m going to coach the team to the best of my ability.”
The Raptors began the season 2-8 and there was talk that Mitchell’s third season could be a short one.
“I never worried about that stuff,” said Mitchell in a phone interview Friday. “If you’re too busy trying to save your job, you’re not going to do your job.”
Mitchell remained confident in himself.
“I wrote the number 72 on the board,” Mitchell said. “I said, ‘Guys, we have 72 more games. A lot of things are going to change between now and then. We are 2-8, but we are playing much better. We are not a 2-8 basketball team.”‘
The Raptors’ roster included only one star, all-star forward Chris Bosh. Point guard T.J. Ford was a solid newcomer but was a question mark after missing the 2004-05 season with a spinal injury. Toronto’s roster also included eight players with less than three years of NBA experience, including the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft, Andrea Bargnani.
But even with the slow start and their youth, the Raptors possess an Atlantic Division-best 32-27 record, good shape for their first playoff appearance since 2002.
“I’ve been impressed with how they turned the corner,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “They’ve gone from a poor-mediocre team to a team now that’s beating good teams on the road, which is a sign of tremendous maturity and growth.”
Mitchell, the Eastern Conference coach of the month for December, has led the Raptors with a no-nonsense approach. He runs tough practices, has no favorites, demands accountability and has an open-door policy. While the players may not always agree with him, they know where he is coming from and understand their roles. Mitchell also said he is hardest on Bosh and Ford because he expects the most out of them.
The Raptors have bought into Mitchell’s system and play with great chemistry.
“I’m going to treat them with respect,” Mitchell said. “I tell them all the time if I ever say something to them that wasn’t right, come tell me and I’ll apologize. That’s what a man does. I tell them all the time I am going to make some mistakes.”
Mitchell, who had run-ins with players in his first two seasons as coach, also helped himself by being more open-minded than when he first became a head coach in 2004.
“I probably listen more,” he said. “The toughest thing about this job is not letting the stress overwhelm you and change you as a person. I try to stay true to who and what I am. To me, the most important thing is God, my family and my job.”
Utah’s Jerry Sloan, Houston’s Jeff Van Gundy and Dallas’ Avery Johnson have done phenomenal coaching jobs this season. But considering how Mitchell has done so much with so little, don’t be surprised if he ends up with the NBA coach of the year hardware, and a new contract.
“I’d love to be here,” said Mitchell, whose contract ends after this season. “But now is not the time to talk about it. It’s not about my future and me. It’s about the organization and these players. The organization and players deserve the credit. I tell my players if we win, the credit will trickle down.”
All the way to Mitchell, too.
Roby staying?
Look for Colorado swingman Richard Roby to return for his senior year. The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder is averaging 17.3 points. And, he’ll have a new coach next season, which should help his decision. Roby pulled his name out of the NBA draft last year and, because of his struggles this season, has been viewed as a longshot should he enter the draft
“It’s definitely not going to hurt him,” one Eastern Conference scout said. “The concerns I would have are a senior playing with a first-year coach. That doesn’t always go over well. Look at Acie Law, it took him a while to get used to the coach at Texas A&M. I don’t know if a year is enough time for him to salvage what he lost.
“But I don’t think he should go out. To be honest with you, I don’t think he will get drafted. Going back increases his possibility. But truly how much will it change? That’s my concern. Coming back gives him more options than leaving.”
Predraft changes
Word is that NBA hopefuls won’t be allowed to work out for teams individually until after the predraft camp in Orlando, Fla. The camp will be moved from the first week of June to the last week of May. Teams want more control of the workout process over agents and want more marquee players to attend the lackluster camp. The date change will give prospects an extra week before the June 28 draft to schedule workouts.
Footnotes
Nene has reportedly dropped weight dramatically, down to 249 pounds. … When told of CSU junior forward Jason Smith’s declaration that he will return for his senior year, one Eastern Conference scout said, “He’s saying that. But we’ll see. I don’t believe nothing until the deadline.” … Arizona sophomore guard Marcus Williams, who is expected to go pro, aided his potential draft status by scoring 21 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out four assists and playing some point guard against California last week.
SPOTLIGHT ON … NEW ORLEANS, SITE OF ’08 ALL-STAR GAME
Background: New Orleans is scheduled to host the 57th NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 17, 2008. The game will mark the first time the all-star event will be held in New Orleans, which is still slowly recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
What’s up: The recent All-Star Game in Las Vegas made headlines because of the 403 arrests and overall security concerns that some felt went unanswered.
Houston Rockets all-star Tracy McGrady recently said he would consider skipping next year’s game if he felt he wouldn’t be safe. McGrady’s words came two days after union director Billy Hunter raised his concerns over New Orleans’ ability to host All-Star Weekend, telling Newsday, “If the union is not convinced that the city can accommodate the All-Star Game, it’s an issue that will be subject to litigation between the union and the league.”
NBA commissioner David Stern has scoffed at concerns that New Orleans cannot host the All-Star Game. “The reports we have received about other major events and conventions recently held in New Orleans have been very positive, and we fully expect All-Star 2008 to be a great success,” said Stern in a statement.
Spears’ take: With all due respect, Hunter’s and McGrady’s comments about New Orleans were ignorant. The All-Star Game won’t be played in Katrina-ravaged areas of New Orleans. It will be played downtown, where there are more than enough hotels and restaurants available, as well as entertainment options. New Orleans still needs the world’s help and doesn’t need to be blamed for Vegas’ sins.
RETURNING TO THE NORTHWEST?
KIKI MAY BE MAN TO TURN AROUND BLAZERS
Will former Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe be the next general manager or president of the Portland Trail Blazers?
Blazers president Steve Patterson resigned recently and reportedly will be replaced by a president and a general manager. Vandeweghe was GM of the Nuggets from 2001-06 and is currently an NBA analyst for ESPN. The ex-Blazer helped turned the Nuggets from an NBA doormat to a playoff team. Vandeweghe was also popular with the media, players and Denver community. He played for the Blazers from 1984-89, averaging 23.5 points per game, and has a good relationship with owner Paul Allen.
The Blazers are looking for someone who can turn around the franchise and be popular in the community. Blazers player personnel director Kevin Pritchard seems to be the front-runner. Vandeweghe, who declined to go into detail about the Blazers’ situation, might have a better shot at the president’s job. It would make sense for the Blazers to at least interview Vandeweghe.
“I have a lot of respect for the Portland organization and Paul Allen,” said Vandeweghe, who still lives in Denver. “I have a lot of fond memories from my time in Portland.”
Moe kicks up his Heels
Nuggets assistant coach Doug Moe lists his top-five teams to watch entering the NCAA Tournament, as well as a sleeper. (Moe is a former North Carolina star.)
1. North Carolina
2. Ohio State
3. Florida
4. Kansas
5. UCLA
Sleeper: Maryland
Staff writer Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-954-1098 or mspears@denverpost.com.
