The Toronto Raptors have fired their coach, Sam Mitchell, after a crushing defeat in Denver at the hands of the Nuggets. Mitchell, who is 45 years of age, was in charge of the team for four seasons in total and became a popular face at the club.

However, recent results have been disappointing to say the least and the club officials were forced to act before the situation became even worse. Jay Triano has been named as temporary head coach but Mitchell was not bitter following his departure from Toronto.

He revealed that being coach of the Raptors was a “true pleasure and an honour”. He revealed that not only will he miss the club, but he will also miss the city of Toronto, as well as the fans of the team, who are “among the best in all of professional sports”.

As well as advancing the status of the team, Mitchell’s time at the club has also brought personal advancements, with the ex-coach believing that he has “grown as a coach and a person" over the course of his time with the Raptors.

The general manager of the Raptors revealed that he did not blame Mitchell for the recent poor performances of the team. Rather, the team as a whole has not been performing and now there can be “no more excuses with regards to Sam Mitchell as coach”.

The manager’s words seem accurate, with defensive frailties and a general lack of confidence infiltrating the entire team. Furthermore, an over-reliance on the star of the team, Chris Bosh, has been seen by many as a major problem.