Cavs final report card: Kenny Atkinson and coaching staff

Our season review of the Cleveland Cavaliers continues with Kenny Atkinson and the coaching staff.

As is the case with our postgame report cards, a “B” grade represents a player or group meeting the standard we expect from them.

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Cavs’ record

Regular season: 52-30 (-12 from last season)

Playoffs: 8-10 (+3 from last season)

Atkinson was dealt a rough hand this year.

The front office’s moves last offseason didn’t pay off. Trading Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball was a miss, as were the signings around the edges of the roster.

Additionally, injuries were a recurring issue throughout the year. Max Strus didn’t play until the spring. Darius Garland missed the start of the season, and when he did return, he wasn’t close to the All-Star version we saw the year before. The group also missed time from both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

Atkinson deserves credit for keeping this season on the rails. The group continued to be bought in, even during their slump, and were able to keep their heads above water. This could’ve easily been a lost season.

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Then, Atkinson was forced to adapt again when they traded for James Harden.

Atkinson understands that this is a player’s league first and foremost. He sacrificed his personal preference to fit the style that worked best with this group given the limited time left in the season.

The Cavs blended Harden’s isolation system with some of the off-ball movement concepts we saw from them during their 64-win season. Making those adjustments on the fly with limited practice time is an incredibly difficult task, and not one many coaching staffs would’ve succeeded in doing.

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The trades and the injuries resulted in the starting lineup they used most in the playoffs, only spending four regular-season games together. Yet, the Cavs were able to make it further in the playoffs than they have at any point since 2018. That’s a remarkable…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cavs-final-report-card-kenny-100000160.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-09 10:00:00

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