Jay Triano No Longer Mr. Nice Guy

[Built Ford Tough]

Consider the way the Raptors spent the hours leading up to Sunday’s 91-87 exhibition loss to the Celitcs. For the second time in two game days, they turned their morning shootaround into a full-contact practice, complete with taped ankles and all-out sprinting and maybe a raised eyebrow or two.

 

“Shootaround’s a lot tougher than in the past,” said Reggie Evans, the eighth-year NBA forward. “We’re just going hard. A lot of banging. It’s totally different than anything I’ve seen.”

 

“We’re going to be accountable at the defensive end,” Triano said. “So it’s pre-season — we’ve got to send some messages.”

 

He sent them by punishing lapses with time on the bench. Amir Johnson got yanked for forgetting a play; DeMar DeRozan for allowing the man he was guarding to drive where he wasn’t supposed to drive — specifically, to the middle. And then there was Andrea Bargnani, whose 1-for-8 shooting line looked better than his sluggish defensive work.

 

“(Bargnani) is not doing things as quickly, and with as much urgency as we’d like him to,” the coach said. “Maybe he’s not in shape. . . . Maybe these practices are taking a toll.”

 

He also said — contrary to the assumptions of the players who figure these workouts are strictly an October phenomenon — that he wouldn’t rule out using a shootaround as a hard practice during the regular season.

 

“If we’re not playing well, yes,” Triano said.

 

http://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/nba/raptors/article/873582--feschuk-no-more-mr-nice-guy

 

One of Triano's biggest weaknesses as a coach is that he is too soft, at least according to what most people believe. Who knows how long he will continue to "crack the whip" but I like the fact that he isn't coddling players like he did last season, especially considering the fact that nobody on this team should be considered a lock for anything, Bargnani and DeRozan included. As far as I am concerned, the minutes should be earned based upon the players play. I don't want to see another Turkoglu situation where he is being spoon fed minutes because of his name and name only.

 

If the players aren't performing, are making mental mistakes and showing a general level of disinterest on the floor, sit them down and bring in somebody who will be willing to give it their all when they are on the floor. I hope he continues this kind of attitude into the regular season. He tried being Mr. Nice Guy last season and it resulted in the team walking all over him.

 

The question is whether or not he will keep this up or not.

[Flash]

I think this is the right strategy you need to use with a team as young as the Raptors are. Instill the hard work mentality in those young guys and they'll be a lot easier to coach down the road and will be harder workers because of it.

[Check my Stats]

So ridiculous they begin to instill these attitudes now that we have such a [expletive]ty team, seriously this organization is such a joke sometimes.

[Flash]

So ridiculous they begin to instill these attitudes now that we have such a [expletive]ty team, seriously this organization is such a joke sometimes.

 

If there was ever a time to do it I'd say now is perfect.

[Built Ford Tough]

So ridiculous they begin to instill these attitudes now that we have such a [expletive]ty team, seriously this organization is such a joke sometimes.

 

I agree that it would've been nice to see him take a stand last season when the Raptors had a team that should've made the playoffs, and might have if Triano was a bit harder on plyers. However, it is nice to see that Triano is learning from his mistakes in the past and he is not going to repeat them. It would be even more of a joke if Triano and the Raptors continued to let players feel entitled, walk all over them and things like that after seeing how well that worked for them last season.