Raptors' Sam Mitchell voted NBA coach of year

Raptors' Sam Mitchell voted NBA coach of year
Toronto's Sam Mitchell was named the NBA's coach of the year on Tuesday,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych].
(Ty Russell/Associated Press) Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz finished second with 301 points, followed by Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson who had 268.
"It's a little bit embarrassing," Mitchell said at news conference Tuesday. "It's very humbling considering the things we've been through. Not just me,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], my staff,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the players who've been here, all the people who've been involved.
"It's a great honour,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], it kind of floors you. You're thankful,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and words just can't express it."
Mitchell, the first coach in Raptors history to receive the award, led the club to its first Atlantic Division title this season,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], tying a franchise record with 47 wins.
A season ago,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the Raptors stumbled to a 27-55 record, but Mitchell led a revamped Toronto team to 20 more wins in 2006-07, his third season in charge, and guided the club to its first playoff appearance in five years.
The Raptors trail the New Jersey Nets 1-0 in their Eastern Conference quarter-final after dropping a 96-91 decision on Saturday.
Toronto hosts the Nets in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series Tuesday night and Mitchell will be presented with the Red Auerbach Trophy, given to the coach of the year,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], before the game.
The award is especially sweet for Mitchell,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], as he was voted the worst coach in the NBA last year in an unofficial poll of players by Sports Illustrated.
"I feel kind of funny sitting up here by myself," said Mitchell. "I feel it should be the whole organization sitting up here behind me, the players,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], front office people, equipment managers … I tell the players all the time,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], there's so much work going into us being successful.
"As a coach, you get a lot of the credit, but there are so many people that make my job easier, so I can do my job."
Mitchell played 13 NBA seasons and after he retired in 2002,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], he began his coaching career as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks.
In May 2004, Mitchell joined the expansion Charlotte Bobcats as an assistant before taking over as the Raptors' head coach later that year.
Mitchell's contract with Toronto expires at the end of this season and the two sides have yet come to terms on a new deal.
Commissioner David Stern said he will cancel the first two weeks of the regular season if there is no agreement on a new deal by Monday,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], costing both sides money and driving away some basketball fans who might never come back. According to David Stern on Tuesday,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], if a deal isn't reached by early next week,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], games that count will start disappearing. But where does that leave the fans? Kacie Hollins offers suggestions on how to fill the empty lockout space.
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