The Cleveland Cavaliers are mired in a disappointing season that has caught everyone by surprise. It has raised questions of what changes could be coming in Ohio -- not just on the roster, but even with head coach Keny Atkinson.
The idea that Atkinson could be on the hot seat seems inexplicable given the success he and the team had last season. They had three different double-digit winning streaks en route to a 64-win season and the league's top offense. Atkinson came in and revolutionized the offensive attack, leading to career years from Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Ty Jerome.
Not only did Atkinson win Coach of the Year, but the Cavaliers were roundly praised for replacing longtime coach J.B. Bickerstaff even though he found immediate success around Lake Erie in Detroit. He was the man for the job and was set up for an extended run of success with this Cavaliers team.
Somehow, all of that has changed in just a few months. After flaming out in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, Cleveland has struggled to start this season in a major way. After beginning last season 15-0, they are 15-14 to start this year, with losses to the Charlotte Hornets, the Chicago Bulls, a Golden State Warriors team without any of their stars, and somehow already three losses to the Toronto Raptors. They needed heroics from Donovan Mitchell just to escape the Washington Wizards.
Things are uncertain in Cleveland
Chris Fedor is right there with Brian Windhorst as the most plugged-in on the Cavaliers' organization, and he reported over the weekend that owner Dan Gilbert is unhappy with what he is seeing and "starting to get more involved." That is a vague and ominous statement that brings to mind the worst of owner involvement in both Cleveland and around the league.
NBA Insider Marc Stein got even more specific on Sunday as he dug into one of the most discussed topics around the league right now: why the Cavaliers look so bad, and what they will do about it. He mentioned the likes of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen being discussed in trade rumors.
He also dropped a bombshell: that some of the organizational discontent was directed at head coach Kenny Atkinson, and that "pressure was mounting" on Atkinson. That is shocking reporting for the reigning Coach of the Year -- an award that, admittedly, does serve to raise expectations on a coach and a team as soon as it is awarded.
It is easy to point at injuries to explain the team's slow start, and indeed, everyone has missed some time and players such as Garland, Max Strus and Sam Merrill have missed significant time. Yet it's also true that Mobley has visibly regressed, the center rotation is a mess, and overall the team doesn't have the same fight in them as last season. Certainly,, the joy is gone.
What is the solution? Whatever it is, it's not firing Kenny Atkinson. He proved last season to be a brilliant offensive mind, and the modern NBA demands that level of creativity or defenses will eat the offenses alive. He also proved over an 82-game sample that he knew how to coach at a high level; if that turns out to be a fluke, it needs to be proven out over a much larger sample than 29 games.
This was a roster that everyone knew had fit issues; that Atkinson papered over them last season is a testament to his coaching ability, not an indictment of it. Health will go a long way, as will a roster shakeup. In the end, this may not be the year for Cleveland.
Whatever happens, Atkinson's job should be safe. And if Dan Gilbert swoops in and fires him, another team will be all-too-glad to scoop Atkinson up and get an excellent head coach in the process.