Raptors Players Criticize Their Coach After Embarrassing Loss

It must have been an odd scene for the Toronto Raptors in Atlanta on Thursday. Almost a year to the day after they replaced their former head coach, Sam Mitchell, with their current one, Jay Triano, the team allowed the Hawks to put up 146 points on them -- in regulation -- en route to a 31-point loss that didn't even seem that close.

And Mitchell just happened to be in attendance, taking it all in from the second row, right across from the Raptors' bench.

While Mitchell may have gotten some sense of satisfaction watching this debacle, the Raptors have bigger things to worry about. Like the fact that afterwards, players were openly criticizing Triano for not addressing the team's glaring issues on defense.

Take it away, Jarrett Jack:

"Every time something happens it's always, `It's okay, it's all right.' It's not all right," said Jarrett Jack, the reserve guard. "Problems go by without attacking them or challenging them or bringing them to the forefront and getting them solved. We can't keep keep putting them to the back of the bus and just saying, `That's okay.' It's not all right. Everybody can't walk on eggshells around here and say, `We're playing good basketball.' We're not."

Your turn, Antoine Wright:

"You've got to address (the defensive issues) and you've got to show people on tape. It's not personal. If you want to win, you're going to have to make some sacrifices."

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, here's what Chris Bosh had to say:

"The defensive effort hasn't been there for a while. We didn't magically appear last on the charts defensively.

"I mean, tonight was just a total embarrassment. We couldn't stop anybody. We haven't stopped anybody all year."

Bosh becomes an unrestricted free agent after this year, and it's tough to imagine him sticking around to play for a team in as much disarray as the Raptors. Remember, Toronto was supposed to be much-improved this season, after going out and spending over $50 million to get Hedo Turkoglu. But so far, all they've been is a huge disappointment.

If the players on the team want to get better defensively -- and really, no professional basketball player enjoys getting run off the floor like that, no matter how much they're getting paid -- then it's up to the coach to address it. Sensitivity is for suckers, and Triano needs to go hard after the players who are making the mistakes and at least make the effort to improve what is statistically the league's worst defense.

Whatever Triano decides to do, he better do it quickly. Teams that get blown out like this and look like they aren't even competing usually end up making a coaching change.

Don't believe me? Just ask Byron Scott.