by Out with the Old – In with the New
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been in search of a coach after dismissing J.B. Bickerstaff right after their season ended. This search was not as extensive as it may have seemed for fans of Cleveland as they were able to find a replacement a little over a month after the previous departure. The new head coach goes by the name of Kenny Atkinson and in this short article I will note his upbringing, key skills and reasons for being welcomed into the Cavaliers Organization.
Who is Kenny Atkinson?
Kenny Atkinson is a former collegiate player for the University of Richmond, leading the team to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1988 and pro player overseas in Europe. He received an opportunity to coach in the early 2000s and has had some notable success in the NBA in his roles as a Head or Assistant coach.
Coaching Experience
Atkinson began as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks in 2008 and then transitioned to the Atlanta Hawks from 2012-2016. This Atlanta team was most notable for winning 60 games in the 2014-15 season and making the Eastern Conference Finals. Atkinson then moved to a head coaching role with the Brooklyn Nets, having a strong influence on leading that team to their best season in between the KG/Pierce and KD/Kyrie years. With a breakout season from D’Angelo Russel in 2018-2019, winning 42 games with the help of some familiar players for Cavs fans- Jarret Allen and Caris LeVert.
Atkinson moved over to Los Angeles as an assistant coach at the start of the 2020-2021 season to help push the Kawhi/PG Led Clippers over the hump; winning 47 games, finishing 4th in the west and making the Western Conference Finals despite Kawhi Leonard sustaining a season ending injury in the 2nd round. His last stop before this recent signing was with an old rival of the Cavaliers- The Golden State Warriors. While they have been in a rocky transition since their Golden Years for most of the 2020s, Kerr and Atkinson did manage to help lead that team to an NBA Championship in 2022 with some Heroics from Stephen Curry and great performances from guys like Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins.
Conclusion
Kenny Atkinson is highly regarded for his ability to develop young talent and improve players’ skills; implementing offensive systems that prioritize ball movement and diverse attacking styles with his use of analytics to firmly make decisions. Making his way to Cleveland where things can become stagnant at times during games, this may be a great match for what they want to accomplish offensively.
