Nov 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts in the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

'Part of the Job is to Manage This Hellacious Schedule' – Cleveland Cavaliers Coach Supports the Idea of Reducing the NBA Schedule

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 7:14 AM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers have just played their third game in four nights, and head coach Kenny Atkinson strongly believes that it’s time for the NBA to revisit the idea of trimming the schedule.

Atkinson argued that a shorter regular season would have players produce at a high level every night. The Cleveland Cavaliers head coach added that the teams would play with a bigger sense of urgency because of the fewer games.

“I think part of an NBA coach’s job is to manage this hellacious schedule,” Atkinson explained via Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com. “And I’ll just echo what Steve Kerr always says, if we go to 70 games, 72 games, the league will be more spectacular, more phenomenal. I think about that all the time.”

Mar 9, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson yells out instructions against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

“Guys would just be able to perform at a higher level,” he continued. “Donovan Mitchell, you’re getting his best three games in four nights. Are you getting the best version of him? I think the fans look at it like, ‘Oh yeah, easy to say, 34 minutes, 34 minutes, 34 minutes.’ But what are we getting that last night?”

Cleveland Cavaliers News: De’Andre Hunter gets singled out for solid two-way effort vs. Detroit Pistons

The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off a 116-95 road win over the Detroit Pistons, as five of their players scored double-digit points. It was De’Andre Hunter‘s first game of the season, and he finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and six assists on 4-for-11 shooting from the field.

Oct 26, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard De’Andre Hunter (12) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) defend Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

“You’re starting to see it,” Donovan Mitchell said about Hunter. “He’s picking up guys full court. He’s on the boards. We all know what he can do scoring-wise. He’s obviously got the career-high in assists tonight. He’s doing all the little things necessary which makes him so dynamic which helps us.”

“Those types of players are really good matchups for Dre,” Atkinson added. “Those big, guard, wing… Dre’s so strong, you can’t just hit him and get separation. So that was a good matchup.”