Kenny Atkinson Articles - Page 2

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 […]

After turning in one of the better games you will see for the first 47 minutes of action, the Cleveland Cavaliers fell apart in spectacular fashion in the final moments of regulation, with the Pacers scoring eight points in the final 63 seconds of action versus just two by the Cavs to secure the improbable […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers and new head coach Kenny Atkinson face an uphill climb after falling behind 2-0 against the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the Eastern conference playoffs. However, they have a larger problem looming once their offseason begins. Evan Mobley won Defensive Player of the Year, triggering a clause in his contract […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been named the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year, the league announced on Monday night. As a result of receiving more votes than Detroit Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff and Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka, Atkinson became the third head coach […]

Already without Darius Garland due to a nagging toe injury, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals delivered a gut punch to the Cleveland Cavaliers, both on the scoreboard and the injury report. Not only did the Cavs fall 121-112 to the Indiana Pacers, but they may have lost two of their key contributors in […]

Kenny Atkinson and the Cleveland Cavaliers were not ready for the red-hot shooting the Indiana Pacers would rain on them throughout Game 1 of the East Semifinals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on Sunday night. Indiana shot 53% from the field throughout the contest, including a scorching 52.8% from beyond the arc. They knocked down […]

When the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers tip off the second round Eastern Conference Playoffs, it’ll mark their fifth meeting of the season, but it’s the first that truly matters. And for all the tactical intrigue that lies ahead, one thing has already been made crystal clear. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson is putting Cleveland’s […]

In the wake of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ historic first-round dismantling of the Miami Heat, a sweep punctuated by back-to-back blowouts totaling a 92-point margin, Heat forward Kyle Anderson was asked to pinpoint what changed for the Cavs in Games 3 and 4, and it wasn’t because of Darius Garland. “You want my honest answer? I […]

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, fresh off an emphatic first-round sweep of the Miami Heat, Round 2 isn’t just a continuation, it’s a collision. And as the Indiana Pacers prepare to bring their relentless pace and perimeter firepower to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Cavs may be forced to do something unthinkable: limit Jarrett Allen’s time […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t just win Game 4 against the Miami Heat. The Cavs detonated a basketball bomb on the Heat’s season, scattering the remnants of a once-respected team across the hardwood of Kaseya Center. It was a beatdown, a 55-point obliteration that sent a thunderous, unambiguous message to the rest of the NBA: the […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers are taking control of their series in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat. In fact, the Cavs are already up 2-0 in the series following a 121-112 victory at home Wednesday night over Tyler Herro and company, who came up with a much more competitive performance […]

Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat was supposed to be a showcase of Cleveland’s depth. It should’ve been a culmination of a regular season that saw the Cavs’ bench emerge as one of the most reliable and productive in the Eastern Conference. Instead, it echoed ghosts of […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers arrived in Indianapolis down four starters, resting and nursing injuries in preparation for the playoffs. However, what they lacked in star power, the Cavs made up for in grit, resilience, and the kind of next-man-up mentality that championship contenders are built on. Without Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Max Strus—and […]

With just seven games left in the regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves facing crucial questions as they prepare to host the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. It’s the Cavs’ first game of April. How this final stretch goes will define how prepared they are for the relentless demands of the playoffs. Despite […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers have soared to remarkable heights this season, achieving their 60th victory — a milestone reached only twice before in the franchise’s history. Yet, despite the celebratory moment, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson and his resilient squad are far from satisfied. Cleveland that regular-season success is only a precursor to the real challenge: […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson won’t take credit for the Cavs’ stunning rise to the top of the Eastern Conference. He insists it’s about roster construction—praising the Koby Altman-led Cleveland front office for assembling a deep, versatile team. He points to continuity, with 13 of 14 full-time players returning from last year’s conference semifinal […]