Andrea Bargnani continues to struggle, but Sam Mitchell realizes that it is a natural part of the maturation process.
"There is no pill you can give him," Mitchell said on Saturday. "Sometimes you need to get your butt kicked. That's just part of growing up in the NBA or any professional sport. You get it handed to you some nights and you learn from it. You look forward to that day when you're going to be on the other end giving the butt whippings, instead of getting them. All rookies. I remember Kobe Bryant getting his butt whipped. I gave him a couple of (beatings) his first year and I wasn't no great player, but I just knew how to play."