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Cavaliers 'double down' on their strengths under Kenny Atkinson, have NBA's best record
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- Cavaliers 'double down' on their strengths under Kenny Atkinson, have NBA's best record
CLEVELAND — Teams are often looking for ways to cover up their weaknesses. The Kenny Atkinson-led Cavaliers are more focused on leaning into their strengths.
Establishing a team identity was one of Atkinson's goals for the Cavaliers in their first 20-25 games of the season. Through 22 games, their 19-3 record is the best in the NBA , and Atkinson was just named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month.
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Atkinson is, of course, trying to identity any weaknesses. But as he analyzed the Cavs roster, he wanted to lean more into its strengths and unique qualities.
Not every team has two guards capable of scoring 35 or 40 points on any given night — or, in Donovan Mitchell 's case, 71. Not every team these days has two bigs in its starting lineup. Not every team has a bench unit that boasts Caris LeVert , Dean Wade , Isaac Okoro — who will come off the bench once Max Strus returns — and others.
And no other team has Evan Mobley , who is so versatile on offense that it was keeping Atkinson up at night as he dreamed up new possibilities and ways to use him.
It's one way in which Atkinson said he feels he's evolved as a coach over his career.
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"It's really funny, when I was a young coach, I was like, 'What are our weaknesses? What can we get better at?'" he said before Tuesday's blowout win over the Washington Wizards . "I think more when you have a team like this, it's, 'What are our strengths and how can we double down on our strengths? Who are we? What's our team now?'"
Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during a game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cavaliers have best record in NBA under Kenny Atkinson
The Cavs have the league's best record. They have the No. 1 offense in the NBA as the only team scoring at least 122 points per game. They have the third-best point differential at plus-9.5 per game. Under Atkinson, the Cavs have thrived while leaning into who they are and what they do best rather than trying to cover up any weak spots.
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It's exactly why Atkinson was brought in as the team's coach while the roster remained virtually the same, as they wanted someone who could tailor the offense to this group. They play at their pace. They've altered motions in their offense best suited to their personnel. They've used their bench more.
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They haven't worried as much about their weak spots. Instead, they've tried to highlight what they do best and then do it as much as possible, relentlessly. And they've overpowered opponents with it.
"I think it's a little bit of an inexperience as a coach you [say], 'Man, we gotta get better at all these different things,' and you end up chasing your weaknesses instead of doubling down on your strengths," Atkinson said. "You still have to know the other team — where are they gonna attack you, where to defend, where we can get better? … But [I have] definitely shifted that mindset.
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"I think that's part of my growth, it's part of my coaching development, and being around a lot of great coaches has really helped me."
Mitchell sees it as a license for the Cavs to play at their speed.
"A lot of different ways we can play," Mitchell said when asked what he felt the team's identity had become. "I think we've fallen into playing with pace. We can be physical, we can execute in the half court defensively. We're rebounding.
"We can do a lot of different things, but I think that, one, the thing that stands out I think we all can say is our pace of play. We're playing fast, different things, but working to be more physical and defensive and getting rebounds and pushing to pace."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has Cavs focused on strengths
