Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson holds the microphone now, so stop the chatter and hear his side. Since Atkinson left (read: was forced by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to leave) the Brooklyn Nets four years ago, his reputation has suffered. His acumen has been questioned. And his calling card as a coach has been misunderstood.
Atkinson’s player-development philosophy, the thinking goes, only fits an upstart team led by wide-eyed youths. A player-development coach supposedly struggles to connect with veteran rosters. So win-now teams should aim higher than a development specialist when shopping for a new coach.
Atkinson will stop you there.
“…Player development gets this label a little bit,” he said Monday at Cleveland’s practice facility. “It’s like, wait, that’s coaching. It’s a little bit of a buzzword. (Player development) is what the greatest coaches in this league have done throughout history.”
Sometimes the simplest answers sound best, and Atkinson’s plan for Cleveland’s future fits the bill. The new coach’s bold vision: Help each player improve while building a scheme that lets them thrive together. Or, in the words of former Louisville coach — and Donovan Mitchell mentor — Rick Pitino:
“Every individual gets a little bit better. That’s how you take the next step,” Atkinson said.
Pitino’s philosophy rings poignant for a Cleveland franchise at a crossroads. After a five-game playoff loss to the Boston Celtics in Round 2, many wondered (and are still wondering) whether the Cavs should re-shuffle their roster. Two non-shooting big men, two ball-dominant guards — can you win big with that setup?
Atkinson believes yes, and his assertion begins with the fact that — check the birth certificates — Cleveland’s core is still young. Evan Mobley, who just turned 23 last month, should not be discounted as a finished offensive product, especially not before Atkinson installs a system that will put the ball in Mobley’s hands more often. Atkinson said Monday that “we all know” Mobley is an All-Star talent, even if Mobley hasn’t earned the honor yet. And Atkinson sees a path for Mobley to become one of the league’s best players.
“I feel a huge responsibility to help him get to that top-15 (level player), top-20 whatever it is,” Atkinson said. “Who knows, top-five, why not? The skill level, the athleticism and the human being? I don’t see why we can’t.”
Darius Garland, 24, can also count Atkinson a fan after the Cavs guard “destroyed us” when Atkinson coached the Nets. And Garland can count on his new coach to keep searching for a better balance between Garland and Donovan Mitchell (assuming both players remain on roster). While serving under Steve Kerr’s Warriors, Atkinson coached a championship team built in part around Steph Curry and Jordan Poole, both of whom averaged at least 30 minutes and 13.9 shots per game. Maybe Curry is a better off-ball player than both Mitchell and Garland, and maybe Kerr’s motion-based system helped facilitate each player’s involvement.
But Atkinson can draw from Kerr’s playbook now (coaches can develop, too). And Garland can take notes from watching Curry move without the ball. Even Mitchell, already an All-NBA player and five-time All Star, can add to his game. If Mitchell is already a top-15 player, Atkinson posited Monday, why can’t Cleveland help him crack the top five?
Atkinson sees no obstacle. Because as Cavs vets Jarrett Allen (26) and Caris LeVert (29) learned under Atkinson in Brooklyn, development never stops. The Nets fielded a different (read: worse) roster than Cleveland’s, but Atkinson pushed that franchise to its next step, anyway. From 20 wins to 28 wins, then 42 wins, then, well, Atkinson didn’t witness the payoff once Durant and Irving arrived. The Nets’ superstars wanted a different voice to lead their championship push.
Don’t confuse one team’s desire with a rule of thumb, though. The Cavs believe player-development coaches can win with veterans and win big. They believe this roster, while an imperfect fit, is far from a finished product. And they believe Atkinson is the perfect hire to help their players learn new skills and, in the process, find a new gear.
You know, like developing. Or coaching.
“… Five years ago, our whole foundation was player development,” president of basketball operations Koby Altman said Monday. “And even though we made the conference semis and won 99 games the last two years — that’s all well and good, but we don’t want to lose focus on that.
“At (Kenny’s core), that’s who he is. “He wants to be on the floor with guys. He wants that sweat equity with guys. And when you have an Evan Mobley who’s 23 or a Darius Garland who’s 24, they have not reached their potential yet at all, right? They’ve not peaked yet at all. So when you have a coach (whose) fastball is player development and you do your research around the game, and that’s all they say is he’s the best player development coach you can possibly find, that gives me solace to know that that program that we have is going to be the best in the world. And we’ll continue to get guys to get guys better. Even the Donovan Mitchell’s of the world. The idea that we can’t improve him with Kenny is asinine.”
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