Sam Mitchell: "I did not watch Eurobasket"

[Neozyrus]

Me too.
Unfortunately, yes, you're right. And Colangelo and Mitchell should know this of all people, because they've assembled a team of players who played for their NTs: Bargani, Bosh, Garbajosa, Calderon, Nesterovic, and Pavlovic.

But Neozyrus, it's still very early in the NBA season. Toronto has only played 3 games. Perhaps the athletic trainers and doctors want to make sure that Garbajosa is really recovered or perhaps the team wants him to get a little rest or perhaps Mitchell is a bad coach. There are a lot of reasons that Garbajosa might not be playing....but it's still too early to worry, I think.

U r absolutely right, theres alot of games still, (78 right now) and i really hope that things really change for him, its just that, as it is a really new situation (He didnt play so little time since he was a junior player), its quite easy to begin to feel a little nervous.

[kg06]

When I watched the game live against the Sixers Garbo was absolutely horrendous on both ends of the floor. He couldn't keep up with his defender and he chucked a few bad shots. Whether he is hurt or not, the other bench guys in the Raptors have just outplayed him so far in the season, which is why they are getting some significant minutes. No disrespect to Garbo but
I think his game was a bit off, and since our bench just got deeper coming into this season, we don't really have to rely much on him as much as we did last season. Though I still think that down the stretch we will need him in the playoffs, right now, the priority is for him to get back on shape. Remember he just came from a serious injury.

Sam Mitchell's bad relationship with a spanish journalist in Toronto gave another proof about that he must be quite angry with Garbajosa. When this jounalist asked the Raptor's public relations director for an interview with Mitchell, he got the answer "Sam preffers not to talk with you, he knows that if he talks about Garbo, he can begin a fire". It doesnt sound very friendly to me.

Doesn't matter who or where you are from, as long as you're from the media, expect some bashing from Sam.

[mvblair]

It seems a little bit contradictory to me.

Me too.

IMHO a NBA team cant prohibit a player to play with his national team, but they can make him pay for it.

Unfortunately, yes, you're right. And Colangelo and Mitchell should know this of all people, because they've assembled a team of players who played for their NTs: Bargani, Bosh, Garbajosa, Calderon, Nesterovic, and Pavlovic.

But Neozyrus, it's still very early in the NBA season. Toronto has only played 3 games. Perhaps the athletic trainers and doctors want to make sure that Garbajosa is really recovered or perhaps the team wants him to get a little rest or perhaps Mitchell is a bad coach. There are a lot of reasons that Garbajosa might not be playing....but it's still too early to worry, I think.

[Neozyrus]

Garbo doesnt say it but imho its quite clear that he's being punished for not having done what Raptors told him to, that is, not to play with Spain in the EC. He's paying that he recovered much earlier that expected from his injury and he's paying that he found an insurance company that made him the multi-million insurance that raptors told him to do after the review of his injury in August, as a "recomendation" if he wanted to play in Spain. This insurance is valifd till the end of November by the way. Even Colangelo seemed really upset with Spain and Gabajosa at that moment, he said: "when Spain and him came with this insurance.. well, we didnt want to create a conflict"

In fact its funny that after his absence in the last playoffs Colangelo said: "we've missed Garbajosa in the playoffs, he's an incredible player" and even Mitchell said: "Jorge is a key player for this team, with him everything would have been different, we missed him for all that he adds to the team". And now he's the 11th man in the roster..c'mon

Sam Mitchell, said last week that Garbajosa didnt play because he wasnt in good shape neither completelly recovered from his injury, but after last defeat against Boston, he said that he doesnt play only for "sport reasons" and that he has to recover his self-confidence. It seems a little bit contradictory to me.

Sam Mitchell's bad relationship with a spanish journalist in Toronto gave another proof about that he must be quite angry with Garbajosa. When this jounalist asked the Raptor's public relations director for an interview with Mitchell, he got the answer "Sam preffers not to talk with you, he knows that if he talks about Garbo, he can begin a fire". It doesnt sound very friendly to me.

In the latest declarations Mitchell did about Garbajosa,. he said "why should i worry about Garbajosa's situation? I worry about the team, not about a personal player. If i did, it would we a lack of respect for the rest. If you wanna know something, just ask him, for me the team is OK" Its quite strange too cause i remember him last year talking about the situations of players like Derrick Martin, Humphreys...but as I said, this is only my opinion.


IMHO a NBA team cant prohibit a player to play with his national team, but they can make him pay for it.

[Neozyrus]

I don't think starting or coming off the bench matters. Ginobili and Jason Terry come off the bench, and they are the second best players on both their teams. If Garbajosa is coming off the bench, that's OK. But if he's coming off the bench and playing 7 minutes per game, while Kapono, Delfino and Dixon play 27, 30 and 20 minutes per game.

Of course, the important thing here is not that hes not a starting 5 player, he could be perfectly one of those examples u said, the important detail here is that right now he's the 11th player of Raptors.

I think TJ is also a good player and I think he is the legitimate starter on the team. But I agree that Calderon should be on the court more (in the pre-season, Mitchell said both players would be on the floor at the same time, but that hasn't happened, I don't think).

I think that in a game, the players that are better in that game or in best shape should play more minutes or even be in the starting 5. I dont say that should last forever of course, but if someone's is in better shape than the other, why not putting him in the starting 5? u have a clear example in Mavericks' Barea. The problem here im afraid is about that mitchell or the management are a little afraid of sitting in the bench a 8million dollar guy. (TJ)

Well, I think a coach will play whoever is playing best. Every coach wants to win and they don't care who plays for them. I think perhaps there are "orders" coming from the suits upstairs to play Kapono...

Personally i dont have any doubt about that those orders have been given.

[mvblair]

It is not abut that. Its about comparing him with the guy that is replacing him in the starting 5 - Kapono - for example.

I don't think starting or coming off the bench matters. Ginobili and Jason Terry come off the bench, and they are the second best players on both their teams. If Garbajosa is coming off the bench, that's OK. But if he's coming off the bench and playing 7 minutes per game, while Kapono, Delfino and Dixon play 27, 30 and 20 minutes per game.

The same could go in TJ Ford-Calderon issue, though TJ is obviouly much better player than Kapono.

I think TJ is also a good player and I think he is the legitimate starter on the team. But I agree that Calderon should be on the court more (in the pre-season, Mitchell said both players would be on the floor at the same time, but that hasn't happened, I don't think).

But this dosnt happen only with Mitchell, many NBA coaches do that. Although that is not a reason that could justify it.

Well, I think a coach will play whoever is playing best. Every coach wants to win and they don't care who plays for them. I think perhaps there are "orders" coming from the suits upstairs to play Kapono...

[Neozyrus]

Do you think Sam Mitchell only this year noticed that Garbajosa's salary is too small to play big minutes?

It is not abut that. Its about comparing him with the guy that is replacing him in the starting 5 - Kapono - for example. Garbajosa has more bball quality in almost every aspect of the game, but they have signed Kapono with a great contract, so he just cant leave him on the bench.

The same could go in TJ Ford-Calderon issue, though TJ is obviouly much better player than Kapono.

But this dosnt happen only with Mitchell, many NBA coaches do that. Although that is not a reason that could justify it.

[mvblair]

Wow, Garbo was the rookie of the year last year and he's only playing 7 minutes per game!? That's ridiculuos. I understand that Ford, Bargani, Parker and Bosh will all get over 30 minutes a game, but Jason Kapono and Juan Dixon? Man...

[LuDux]

Do you think Sam Mitchell only this year noticed that Garbajosa's salary is too small to play big minutes?

[Neozyrus]

There is none to blame for their situation.

All these 3 players went from top in euroleague to benchers in NBA and settled for much less money.

Baston 750K Euros
Garbajosa 1.7M Euros
Calderon 1M Euros

If I was offered a new job in 'the best company', with the best conditions and they would offer me half of what igot in my previous job i would tell them to go fuck themselves.

They should just come back to Europe.

I agree with u in that they shoud come bach here asap, but their situation is not their fault. Its the fault of a blind coach that considers that a player shoud play depending the salary he gets nor the bball quality he has.

[ArkadiosV2]

There is none to blame for their situation.

All these 3 players went from top in euroleague to benchers in NBA and settled for much less money.

Baston 750K Euros
Garbajosa 1.7M Euros
Calderon 1M Euros

If I was offered a new job in 'the best company', with the best conditions and they would offer me half of what igot in my previous job i would tell them to go fuck themselves.

They should just come back to Europe.

[Neozyrus]

And we better not start talking what is he doing with Calderon or Baston...

[DanMajerle]

Well, now Sam "the brain" Mitchell found out that Garbjosa is kind of useless and gives him only little playing time this season.
Garbajosa is frustrated with his lack of playing time:

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/48997/20071105/garbo_upset_about_playing_time/

Garbajosa is NOT Robert Horry, Sam, he's 29.

P.s.: I can't believe what I'm reading here, IMO Garbajosa is one of the toughest players in basketball, a hustle guy that draws a lot of fouls and can shoot threes, was a key for the Raptors for making the Playoffs and now according to Raptors fans he's old and useless? People are forgetting so fast....

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=725610

[Joško Poljak Fan]

although cheezdoodle has a point to make here for my fellow euros who are so bias it might as well just be written as your avatar, i also have to side with you guys.

sam mitchell didnt and should have not deserved nba coach of the year. i think they would do a lot better with somebody else as coach of toronto. i think ive stated this before already in the past.

whenever It comes to Sam Mitchel I admit my bias, can't stand him and probably never will (and that's hard to achieve being a NBA coach, since they really don't get much attention from me lately)... the COY award just deepend my feelings towards him

[Hepcat]

Wow, and this guy is "NBA Coach of the Year".

I guess the competition can't be that tough....