Kenny Atkinson Articles - Page 2

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a myriad of problems at 13-9 at the beginning of December, but aside from being short-handed and questions of mental makeup, there’s an elephant in the room that demands more urgency. The Cavs have not been fast enough, nor have they had the requisite endurance throughout their games. “The game is […]

Amid a three-game losing streak and going into a second night of a back-to-back on the road, the Cleveland Cavaliers had to come out with a victory over the Indiana Pacers. So, before the matchup, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson sent a text to Donovan Mitchell with a message that would foreshadow his night. “‘You’ve […]

Longtime NBA veteran guard Chris Paul’s retirement announcement evoked a wave of respect and admiration around the basketball world over the weekend, and when the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday evening, everybody in Rocket Arena paid their respects to the 21-year floor general. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson was among the […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson minced no words on Wednesday regarding the NBA’s $100,000 fine for resting Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley last week. Asked multiple times about the punishment, Atkinson initially left well enough alone before expressing his disagreement with the league’s decision. “I’ve got to look at the Cavs’ best interest,” Atkinson […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson shared updates on Darius Garland and Jaylon Tyson on Wednesday before the team’s meeting with the Houston Rockets. They were quite encouraging. Garland is “itching” to come back and isn’t too far away. “He’s had contact,” Atkinson said in his pregame press conference. “He’s played 3-on-3, 4-on-4, a little […]

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers’ All-Star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley was peppered with questions in the locker room after the team’s come-from-behind 108-100 victory over a shorthanded, struggling Memphis Grizzlies bunch. So much has been written and said about the Cavs’ early-season struggles amid injuries, flat performances, and call-backs to last season, […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson admitted his faults with the development of Craig Porter Jr. last season. After Porter’s “heroic” effort in the team’s 130-116 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday, he opened up to reporters about Porter’s work shining through after some straight-to-the-point discussions between the two this offseason. “This is the […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers were without Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland for their rematch against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, but Jarrett Allen and the team’s depth shone through in an impressive 130-116 victory down in South Beach. “Just gives confidence to everybody in the group,” Allen said postgame. “A lot of the guys […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been stern since the beginning of training camp with his blunt playoff-record message, and now, Donovan Mitchell is echoing that tough love in early November. Following a 132-121 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the wine and gold’s All-Star guard addressed mental lapses that could have proved costly — […]

While rebounding has not been the Cleveland Cavaliers’ strong suit to start the season, Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Hawks should serve as a blueprint for how they need to control the glass. Although the wine and gold technically lost the battle of the boards, it’s the way the players secured them that stood out. […]

Before tipping off against the Toronto Raptors to commence Group A play in the Emirates NBA Cup, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson provided a wave of updates on Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland. Both Mitchell and Allen are out for Friday night’s game, their first missed action of the season. They’ll join […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is joining his peers in pleading for a shortened NBA schedule. On Monday night, before his team’s 116-95 victory over the Detroit Pistons, Atkinson went on a tangent about having a three-game-in-four-night stretch during the opening week of the regular season. Avid fans of the league are well aware […]

Since taking over as head coach, Kenny Atkinson has always been constructive in his criticisms of the Cleveland Cavaliers. This endearing quality has earned him the buy-in of his players, the adoration of the fan base, and the trust of the organization. But Wednesday’s words before the wine and gold’s season opener against the New […]

Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter made his 2025-26 season debut on Sunday night in the wine-and-gold’s home opener, and immediately, the Cavs took notice. “Just his size,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the 118-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. “You see our offense, I don’t know how many he had, but our offensive […]

Nine years ago, Kenny Atkinson took over as Brooklyn Nets head coach and lifted the team out of the NBA basement and into the playoff picture. Following the failed Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era, the Nets find themselves entrenched in another rebuild. Unlike Atkinson’s first season, this team features an NBA-record five first-round picks, including Brooklyn’s […]

After a flat-out unacceptable performance in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season opener, Jarrett Allen let his game respond for him on Friday in familiar territory at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. “I’m used to the lights at the Barclays Center,” Allen joked after the Cavs’ 131-124 win over the Brooklyn Nets. “I played here for three […]

After an informative film session on Thursday afternoon, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson felt better about his team’s season opener. Sitting down with ClutchPoints and two other reporters inside the Baruch College gymnasium, Atkinson delivered a complete diagnosis of the Cavs’ 119-111 loss to the New York Knicks. “I’m actually more positive after watching […]

When you’re tossed into the deep end of the pool, you’ve got to learn how to swim. That’s been the common denominator of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ words leading up to their season opener against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. In a spout of deja vu, the Cavs have injury issues going into the […]

Cleveland Cavaliers starting forward De’Andre Hunter has been officially listed as questionable for the team’s season opener against the New York Knicks on Wednesday. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after Tuesday’s practice that Hunter could do 3-on-3 practice for Cleveland, who didn’t do much on a travel day before the first game of the […]

While Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson may have not had the best outlook on De’Andre Hunter’s injury status for the team’s season opener, he did have quite the positive update on Darius Garland’s progression. “Really good,” Atkinson said Monday of how Garland is looking physically. “He did most of practice today and we were […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers are champing at the bit to get their season underway this week, but they could be without a key piece in De’Andre Hunter. After Monday’s practice in preparation for the New York Knicks, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson shared an update on Hunter’s status for the team’s first game of the year: […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has no hard feelings toward his assistant Alex Sarama, who is officially going to the WNBA as the head coach of the Portland Fire. In fact, he offered his congratulations and shared the official timeline for Sarama, who will still be a part of the Cavs this year. “It’s […]

As usual, Isaac Okoro was greeted by cheers at Rocket Arena and a big hug from Moondog. As usual, Lonzo Ball shared a laugh with Billy Donovan during a break in the action. But instead of pulling up in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ player garage, Okoro rode a bus and had a shorter walk to the […]

Tipping off their preseason against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at Rocket Arena, the Cleveland Cavaliers were surprisingly without starting guard candidate Sam Merrill. In his postgame press conference following the 118-117 loss, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson provided an update as to why: “Yeah, he’s got a little soreness in his abductor, but […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers are back home in Northeast Ohio after spending six days of training camp in Bradenton, Florida. Pleased with the combination of team-building activities and on-court execution, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson has his focus areas for the wine and gold as the preseason opens Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls. “We obviously […]

After deviating from their original practice plans on Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back indoors on Friday, the fourth day of training camp at IMG Academy. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson explained that they were initially supposed to return to the court following a track session to condition. Instead, Donovan Mitchell pleaded his case for […]

Thursday was much different for the Cleveland Cavaliers than the first two days of training camp, as they spent their third afternoon off the basketball court. With so many amenities on the campus of IMG Academy, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson wants to take advantage. “I was in the Olympics last year with Team France. […]

It was a much more intense Day 2 of training camp for the Cleveland Cavaliers at IMG Academy than when they arrived on Tuesday. “I don’t know how long we were out there. It was a long, tough practice with a scrimmage at the end,” Kenny Atkinson told reporters in Bradenton, Florida, at the gym. […]

After a fun-filled start to the week at Media Day back home, the Cleveland Cavaliers got to business on Tuesday afternoon at IMG Academy. “I think our buildup to this, with guys coming in early on their own, it makes this transition to training camp easier,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson told a handful of […]

Heading into his third NBA season, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. is taking a proactive approach. His voice is as urgent as it’s ever been, exuding a stern tone when describing how he plans to attack training camp and earn the organization’s trust from top to bottom. “Just being one of those guys when […]

As long as the Cleveland Cavaliers have had their Core Four intact, the organization has stood by its side from the top down. There’s good reason for that if the last two league champions are used as a measuring stick for success. “The last three years, we’ve had the third-best record in the NBA, third […]

A renewed energy and enthusiasm permeated the Cleveland Cavaliers’ practice facility on Tuesday morning in Independence, as team president Koby Altman and head coach Kenny Atkinson addressed the media for the first time since May’s premature playoff exit. “I like our toughness. I like our makeup. I like our identity. I love our leadership,” Atkinson […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers were one of the best teams in the NBA all season long, but it all came crashing down in the second round of the NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. A combination of injuries, a late-game collapse in Game 2, and a great Pacers team that was hot all series long led […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers walked into Sunday’s Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers hoping to even the series and reclaim momentum. Instead, they limped out, both literally and figuratively, staring down a 3-1 series deficit and the very real possibility of life without Cavs superstar Donovan Mitchell, who suffered a scary ankle injury during halftime. Mitchell, […]

Cavs star guard Darius Garland made his return to the court in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ blowout win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the East Semis on Friday night. Head coach Kenny Atkinson had plenty to say about his performance. In 25 minutes of action, Garland finished with 10 points, three assists and […]

As the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare for a pivotal Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, they’re doing so under a cloud of uncertainty. Three of the Cavs’ key contributors; Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter; remain injured, casting doubt on the team’s chances. Before heading to Indianapolis, Cleveland held what […]

On Tuesday evening, the Cleveland Cavaliers fell behind 0-2 in their second-round playoff series vs the Indiana Pacers with a brutal last-second defeat. Despite playing without multiple key contributors, the Cavs were in control of this game until the last minute, when they absolutely imploded and opened the door for a Tyrese Haliburton game winner. […]

The Brooklyn Nets ousted Kenny Atkinson as head coach during the 2019-20 season. He got the last laugh on Monday, winning the 2025 Coach of the Year Award. Atkinson led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 64-18 record and the Eastern Conference’s top seed during his first season with the team. It was a long-awaited head-coaching […]

Tensions are already peaking just two games into the NBA Playoffs second-round matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. After Indiana stunned the Cavs in Game 1, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson lit up the media room with a passionate six-minute rant criticizing the lack of foul calls on three specific plays that […]