The bar wasn't particularly high when the Cleveland Cavaliers replaced J.B. Bickerstaff, but the message was simple: This team is much more talented than it shows, and it's about time they make a deep postseason run.
Atkinson inherited a team that was solid on defense but stagnant on offense, and it didn't take long before he shook things up and got them firing on all cylinders. Still, after leading the Eastern Conference from start to finish, they fell short in the playoffs again.
That's why, after watching the Cavaliers struggle to dominate a lesser Toronto Raptors team in the first five games of the first-round series, it's starting to feel like Atkinson's seat should be getting blazing hot right now.
Kenny Atkinson might be coaching for his Cleveland Cavaliers future
For years, other fan bases and teams have claimed the Cavaliers are soft. Recently, even Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green called out Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley for getting manhandled in the postseason.
James Harden has a long history of postseason shortcomings, and Donovan Mitchell has also been a bit of a roller coaster. Some may argue that it isn't on the coach, but the game starts before the players actually take the court. It's on Atkinson to make sure they are prepared and, more importantly, they FEEL prepared.
Atkinson has been solid in the Xs and Os department, especially on offense. Mobley has expanded his range, and even Jarrett Allen has taken a bit of a step forward under his guidance, and all the role players have gotten somewhat involved in his free-flowing offense. However, that's meaningless if they can't get the job done at the next level.
There were some doubts when the Cavs hired Atkinson. They needed someone who could help them get the monkey off their backs, and he was let go by the Brooklyn Nets once they got Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving because he didn't have a championship pedigree. Spending years learning from Steve Kerr sure helped his case, but those concerns are rising again.
The Cavs made a huge gamble when they swapped Darius Garland with James Harden. They did it because they thought this team was ready to take a leap and pursue an NBA championship with this core. As such, anything short of a deep postseason trip should be considered a failure.
This team is trying to convince Donovan Mitchell to sign another lengthy contract extension, and they hope to be in the mix to sign LeBron James, and who knows? Maybe even trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo or another star.
Having a true leader of men calling the shots on the sidelines will help with most of those goals, and Atkinson, while a good coach, has failed to show that he can be that guy. He's going to have two opportunities to move on to the second round, and another postseason collapse should be more than enough to make the front office pull the plug on him.
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