Sam Mitchell on still having an interim label: 'I don't worry about it'
Sam Mitchell wasn't supposed to be the head coach of the Timberwolves this season. He began the year as an assistant, but the team gave him the interim coaching position after then-coach Flip Saunders took medical leave back in September. After the unfortunate passing of Saunders the following month, Mitchell stayed on as interim coach.
Now, the young Wolves, who are filled to the brim with talent thanks much to Saunders, sit at 12-22, likely out of the playoff hunt even in a down year for the West, but in as strong a position as any rebuilding team moving forward.
Mitchell, though, hasn't gotten any reassurances about the future. Almost halfway into his season, he's still on an interim basis, but he says he doesn't worry about that sort of stuff.
“Well, I don’t worry about it,” he said. “That’s not for me to worry about. My job is to coach the team and do what I think is right to do. I don’t worry about whether I’m going to be here or not. My job is to teach these players to the best of my ability so that whoever is coaching this team, whether it’s me or anybody else, at least these guys have any idea how to play.
“We have concepts about what do you do defensively, how do you play certain things, why do you do certain things. We also tell them why we’re doing what we’re doing so they understand because they don’t even understand why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
From Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune:
Mitchell has a losing record in his head-coaching career, but he did take two Raptors teams to the postseason back in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Mitchell actually garnered Coach of the Year after winning the Atlantic Division with that '07 Raptors squad. Now, he has to prove himself all over again, though he'll likely get the year to do it.
