As the frustration mounts and the losses pile up and the same maddening mistakes are repeated by professionals who should know better, Sam Mitchell's patience is wearing thin.

It almost broke last night.

Calling out his players ? and in particular rookie forward Charlie Villanueva ? Mitchell blasted the soft mental nature of his team after another loss, this a 105-94 capitulation to the Chicago Bulls before 16,169 increasingly disturbed Air Canada Centre fans.

"The disappointing thing for me is at some point, somebody in the locker room should say something to each other," Mitchell said after the Raptors allowed the Bulls to shoot an astonishing 58 per cent from the floor.

"The coaches are on them, but at some point they're going to have to understand this is their basketball team and they have to take ownership of it. Somebody in the locker room has to say something and guys have to be able to accept it when they say it and go out and play; that's what teams do."

Villanueva, meanwhile, bore the brunt of Mitchell's outburst. The coach limited the rookie forward to just eight minutes, ticked off about his lackadaisical defensive effort while equally displeased with Villanueva's preparation.

"Every now and then the young guys have to understand it's a privilege to play, not a right," said Mitchell. "He (Villanueva) needs to pick it up and not just in games.

"We're committed to playing the young guys but it doesn't mean I have to play them every night. You have to come to practice and I feel you're not working, I'm going to cut your minutes."