The Cleveland Cavaliers are supposed to be a championship contender, and by all means, there is still every opportunity for them to play up to that potential. What if they don't? These last few weeks, the Cavaliers certainly have not always looked the part. If that holds into the postseason, someone will need to be held responsible.
One name some are quietly looking to is Kenny Atkinson. The Cavaliers' second-year coach is struggling with identifying what his rotations are going to look like ahead of the postseason. The Cavs defense is also underperforming to the point of the coach needing to call out the team.
Spencer Davies thought this brewing storm was all something that could eventually get the fingers of blame pointed at Atkinson. The Cavaliers reporter later added that this was not him advocating for the move. It was just an assessment on how things could shake out.
Davies wrote, "Unfortunately, at a certain point, this could fall on Kenny Atkinson. It's a monumental ask with a month-and-a-half of runway, completely changing the timeline, and the amount of rotational inconsistency due to injury. But this is a bottom-line business, and the NBA moves fast."
Kenny Atkinson should not be the fall guy in Cleveland
Atkinson arrived in Cleveland last season and immediately transformed the team into a 64-win unit. That fact will not leave him unscathed forever, but it does point to something the Cavaliers organization should know — their head coach is a good one.
The Cavaliers have done very little to hide their urgency in wanting to win-now. In those kinds of desperate times, rash decision can often be made. Anything having to do with pulling the plug on Atkinson would be misguided.
If there was anything that firing J.B. Bickerstaff should have taught the Cavaliers, it is that this has rarely been a coaching problem in Cleveland. It is about the personnel.
Bickerstaff has enjoyed an excellent campaign with the Detroit Pistons in 2025-26, propelling his new team to the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Maybe he was not a perfect fit for the Cavaliers, and Bickerstaff does certainly have flaws, but so do these players.
Koby Altman and the front office were bold enough to finally break up the core four this season. Swapping out Darius Garland for James Harden still leaves a fairly similar overall formula, though. If the Cavaliers fail, it is that recipe that should be challenged.
It should not be a matter of swapping out the coach again and hoping for a different result with the next guy. Atkinson has his shortcomings. Pinning everything on him and trying again would just miss the mark.