After weeks of speculation and interviewing, the Cleveland Cavaliers have hired Kenny Atkinson as the team's twenty-fourth head coach. Atkinson will succeed J.B. Bickerstaff and try to build upon Cleveland's Eastern Conference semifinal appearance from last season, hopefully guiding the Cavs even deeper into the playoffs.
Regardless of hope for the future, the Atkinson hire might be a bit of a head-scratcher to some. The last time Atkinson was a head coach was during the 2019-20 NBA season, where he led the Brooklyn Nets to a 28-34 record before re-signing. Couple that with Atkinson's overall record at 118-190, and it might be fair to wonder why Cleveland went with Atkinson over James Borrego, the other finalist for the head coaching search.
Thankfully, at the end of the day, those reservations some might have against Atkinson are simply just negative intrusive thoughts. Sure, Borrego's offensive schemes might be impressive, especially after the leap the Pelicans took with him at the helm. But, with Atkinson running the show instead of Borrego in Cleveland, the Cavs are getting more than just an offensive improvement from last year and that's why Cleveland chose Atkinson over Borrego in the end.
Why Kenny Atkinson is the right fit for the Cavs
Sure, Atkinson's offense fits the mold of when Cleveland was playing its best basketball last season. Atkinson is known for being analytically focused with his offensive scheme and relies heavily on continual player development. His motion-based offense wants to play with pace and get up three-pointers while moving the ball and empowering his players to make the right reads.
Again, Atkinson’s core offensive values fortunately draw parallels to when Cleveland played their best basketball last season. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find a consistent approach to that offensive attack, but now, it’ll become the new offensive norm with Atkinson constructing the offense.
But, again, it isn't just the fact that Atkinson's system fits what the Cavs need. Under Atkison, the idea is to play with flow and pace and create advantages that make the players on the floor effective. This system will empower players to grow and develop, honing skills that could eventually become strengths. Hiring Atkinson to help develop and accentuate their offensive acumen could be huge for a team as young as the Cavaliers, especially for big man Evan Mobley.
Throughout his short-lived NBA career, Mobley has always showcased defensive abilities that are incredibly rare for a young player but has always felt incomplete on the offensive side of the ball. Whether it was his passing, ball handling, or three-point shooting, there have been constant flashes of Mobley’s offensive potential. But whether it was a lack of confidence in his game or Mobley being asked to do so much on defense that he didn’t have the energy on offense, he’s been unable to consistently make it a threat for the Cavaliers on offense.
With Atkinson now running Cleveland’s offense, he can construct a system that both plays to Mobley’s existing strengths and encourages him to transform his flashes into consistent parts of his offensive repertoire. The same approach can be utilized for other Cavaliers that have stagnated offensively and struggled to find a consistent offensive flow.
Under Atkinson, Cleveland will no longer have to lean on Donovan Mitchell’s heroics to bail them out every night. Instead, it’ll be a heavier dose of basketball socialism, with the overall collective helping guide the Cavaliers to victory.
Follow Us
Subscribe