Kenny Atkinson Articles - Page 2

Splitting their last two games over the weekend, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offense once again had clunky moments that it had recently gotten away from. They committed 17 turnovers in each contest, resulting in 35 points off those miscues. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson and Donovan Mitchell are trying to determine what’s causing them, and they […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been chipping away with better performances amid a healthier roster over the last couple of weeks, but when the Detroit Pistons won the possession game by 10 in Sunday afternoon’s 114-110 defeat, it showed that the wine and gold’s got work to do to get where they want to be. And […]

It’s stating the obvious that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been better as of late due to improved health, but few consider the importance of this on an individual level. Athletes are creatures of habit, and when those routines are altered or interrupted because of injuries or roster moves, it throws things off. In basketball, that […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers needed Lonzo Ball to step up with Sam Merrill and Dean Wade ruled out on Friday night, and he did not disappoint. Despite missing back-to-back games due to losing a spot in the regular rotation, Ball provided energy on both ends of the floor and showed that he can help when called […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson had to ensure that his team was ready for Jordan Ott and the Phoenix Suns on New Year’s Eve. If the wine and gold weren’t prepared, the visitors would have taken it from them. The Cavs heeded that warning and wound up winning the game by double digits, but […]

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Lonzo Ball did not play in Monday night’s impressive bounce-back win over the San Antonio Spurs, sparking questions about his status in the team’s rotation. Craig Porter Jr. has gotten the nod off the bench when he’s been inactive for back-to-backs, but that wasn’t the case this time. Cavs head coach Kenny […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson expressed extreme disappointment after his team suffered a 117-100 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday. That final score was generous, as the Cavs trailed by as many as 31 points in the fourth quarter and barely showed a pulse in their follow-up to a promising week of basketball. […]

Asked continuously about why his team has all of a sudden found a groove, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson repeatedly kept bringing up one person. Not coincidentally, Cavs All-Star Donovan Mitchell looked at the same guy: Sam Merrill. Put aside the fact that he scored 22 points on 6-of-10 from long distance in a […]

Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter looked as confident as he was at the beginning of the season on Monday night, scoring 27 points on 9-of-13 from the field and literally bloodying his nose in his best game in some time. It’s only the third time this year that he’s come off the bench, a decision […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson doesn’t have to look far for advice with his team going through the wringer. Before Friday night’s 136-125 loss to the Chicago Bulls, the wine and gold’s third straight and fourth in the last five games, Atkinson shared that he got in touch with Stephen Vogt via text and […]

If the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to wake up from the nightmare they’re in right now, it will take a team effort. After the wine and gold’s latest 127-111 loss on the road to the Chicago Bulls, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen are electing to uplift rather than scold while this group tries to find […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t get into details about Evan Mobley’s ill-timed calf injury before hosting the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Arena. Instead, he wanted to highlight the challenge this will present to the Cavs to “prepare early” for adversity that they could run into in the playoffs. “We’re going to get some […]

After the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the skidding, shorthanded Portland Trail Blazers on December 3, Donovan Mitchell went on a tangent. He was direct about the Cavs’ approach to the season and how there aren’t any excuses for their inconsistencies, referring to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s historic start after winning the NBA Finals. “OKC won […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers were on the precipice of a long, difficult plane ride home from the nation’s capital before NBA MVP candidate Donovan Mitchell came to the rescue again. “We found Donovan Mitchell, or Donovan Mitchell found us,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said postgame. “It was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. […]

When the Cleveland Cavaliers began their “reset” week with an uncomfortable film session, everybody, to a man, took accountability for their shortcomings. However, according to Darius Garland’s assessment of the study, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson targeted the top of the roster to set an example. “Everybody needs that. He started with his ‘best players’ […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers practiced Tuesday for the first time since Nov. 4, with the primary focus centering on the defensive side of the ball. Aside from the actual participation itself, the Cavs learned some hard truths through an eye-opening film session where head coach Kenny Atkinson put things in perspective. “He just called us out,” […]

The Golden State Warriors marched against the Cleveland Cavaliers to snap a two-game losing skid, and they walked out of Rocket Arena with a 99–94 win that carried a familiar undertone: the resilience of a contender, the composure of a seasoned group, and the lingering weight of Kenny Atkinson’s connection to Steve Kerr. The matchup […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to take one step forward and two steps back. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland wasted little time pinpointing the most maddening characteristic of the Cavs after their disheartening 99-94 loss to a Golden State Warriors team that was down nine players. “We get down, and then we start playing,” Mitchell said […]

Winning their first home game since Nov. 23, the Cleveland Cavaliers may have found their most balanced five-man combination in Friday’s 130-117 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Playing together from the 9:36 to the 6:04 mark of the third quarter, the grouping of Craig Porter Jr., Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, and Evan […]

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 […]