It hasn't degenerated into the open hostilities that engulfed Glen Grunwald and Kevin O'Neill two seasons ago, but the relationship between Sam Mitchell and Rob Babcock is not the happiest in NBA circles these days.

The Raptors coach and his general manager, hardly close friends and confidants at the best of times, may have been pushed further apart this week with the confusing recall of second-year forward Pape Sow.

In bringing Sow back from the Arkansas RimRockers of the D League, Babcock has presented Mitchell with a player who needs playing time to develop but who nonetheless seems destined to languish on the Raptor inactive list for the foreseeable future.

Mitchell refused to comment on the recall in Portland on Wednesday night, except to say it was a decision made by the GM and that he had no minutes available for an unproven second-round draft pick who has struggled every NBA game he's played in.