Why Kenny Atkinson’s second year could be the breakthrough the Cavaliers need

In May of 2024, the Cleveland Cavaliers controversially fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff after another disappointing playoff exit to the Boston Celtics in just five games. While many argued that Bickerstaff should not have been fired, it is now widely agreed upon that both sides were in desperate need of a fresh start. This was further evidenced in Bickerstaff's success by dramatically improving a former lottery team in the Detroit Pistons into a playoff team.

Just one month after parting ways with Bickerstaff, the Cavaliers ended their head coaching search by hiring Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson. However, they conducted a very thorough search that included two main candidates alongside Atkinson. One of which was Ohio-native and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori.

Nori was a great head coaching candidate as he was the lead assistant in Minnesota, and hot off of a Western Conference Finals appearance. Many self-proclaimed “homers” were banging the table for Nori to become the next head coach of the Cavs. However, an offseason later and he is still sticking with Minnesota, as they are fresh off of another Conference Finals appearance.

Four days before the Cavs hired Atkinson, there was a report from an insider that the team was expected to agree on a deal with current New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego. Borrego seemed to be the front-runner for a bulk of the search. With a former stint coaching the Charolette Hornets not ending the way he intended, the Cavs were his shot at redemption.

In the end, the Atkinson hire didn’t surprise anyone. However, a Borrego signing would not have caught anyone off guard either. In a contest that came down to the wire, it is obvious that the Cavaliers made the right decision. After all, it was Atkinson’s implementation of a Golden State Warrior-esque offense that put an already defensively minded Cavs team over the top.

With Atkinson’s system, the Cavaliers were finally able to unlock their potential and finished the regular season by winning an astounding 64 games, placing No. 1 in the Eastern Conference. Individual accomplishments were achieved under Atkinson as primarily evidenced by Evan Mobley's DPOY award. Although the Cavs fell short to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs, it was clear that they had also made a drastic improvement as a team under Atkinson’s guidance.

It is easy to take for granted just how good of a season the Cavaliers had simply because they fell short in the postseason.

It is comparably easy to under appreciate just how much of an impact Atkinson had on the team solely because the postseason results were, again, the same. With a full offseason of work and planning, Atkinson will again look to be the Cavaliers’ most valuable asset in this upcoming 2025/26 season.