Without Peggy, Phil or Grant around to lend a hand, it’s only natural that Toronto’s Sam Mitchell would get a little testy, especially where the family business is concerned. The Globe & Mail’s Robert McLeod reports on the latest source of the comely Mitchell’s anger, backup center Jerome Moiso.
“It’s not really fair to this team for him to sit there and take up air,” Mitchell said of the 6-foot-10 centre, who has seen limited action in only seven of Toronto’s 17 games this season.
Mitchell said Moiso has the skill and athleticism to be able to help Toronto gain an even footing against teams that devour them off the boards. But he said Moiso’s lazy practice habits are holding him back.
“The frustrating thing for me, I look at Jerome Moiso (above) sitting out there, and he can go out and help us,” Mitchell said. “And I’m asking him when. But he’s got to earn it.
“It’s hard to put him in the game when he doesn’t bring it in practice every day.”
“He and I have had talks and he feels that he’s being treated unfairly. But it’s hard to put him in the game over guys who come to practice and work hard every day and he sits around feeling sorry for himself.”
Moiso appeared a bit stunned when informed of Mitchell’s harsh comments.
“My own feeling is I do bring it [in practice],” the wide-eyed athlete said. “I’m just a little bit different in a way that I guess it looks easy. When it’s not working, it looks like I’m not doing anything.”
After trailing by eight points at halftime, the Raptors totally unravelled in the third quarter, in which the Magic outrebounded them 22-4 and outscored them 34-15.
“What else is new,” Mitchell said, trying to explain the third-quarter rebounding disparity. “We look down at the end of the bench, I’m looking for rebounders. You got one? Can you get a rebound? Because if you can get one, we got a uniform for you.”