Kenny Atkinson is right about the analytics, but now isn’t the time to say it

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson’s honesty and transparency are among his best attributes. He’s always going to tell you the truth, which is different than most coaches who give trite answers that mean very little.

That honesty, though appreciated by me, might not always be welcomed by everyone. Especially when his group is down 3-0 to a New York Knicks team that has simply been better.

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After practice on Sunday, Atkinson shared that his players gave him numerous reasons to believe that they could win Game 4. When asked what his reasoning would be, he pointed to the numbers.

“Analytically … we’ve won two out of three.”

On its surface, that’s a rough quote. There’s no way around that.

Yet, if you listen to the whole quote within its context, and the question that led up to it, it makes much more sense. He’s asked why he would believe they can win one game. He’s not making excuses for them being down.

Reporter: “What’s your answer to your own question (why you believe the Cavs could win the next game)?”

Atkinson: “We’ve had success against this team before. We’ve had really good moments in this series, up 20 in Game 1. Even Game 2, take that run out from the beginning of the third quarter and it’s pretty tight.

“I think analytically, think we’ve won the … I said three out of three (after Game 3), we’re two out of three, in the expected wins. I don’t know if you guys follow that, the expected score. We’ve won two out of three.

“I know you’re looking at me confused, but there is really… if you believe in process and all that, … Take that layer. I know I don’t throw that on them. I see it for myself. We have this feeling, I have this feeling, then I can go to our analytical table.

“Last night, our expected score was like one point or two, us shooting way below expected. Them shooting way over. I know no one wants to hear that. I think you guys like it. I know the general public, no one wants that. Everyone is outcome-based. Sure, I get that too.”

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kenny-atkinson-analytics-now-isn-110000735.html

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Publish date : 2026-05-25 11:00:00

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