Grading every decision of the Cleveland Cavaliers offseason so far
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Despite initial rumors, the Cleveland Cavaliers have had a fairly quiet offseason. While immediate expectations suggested Cleveland would enter next season with a drastically new core, the Cavs have repeatedly committed to the young core and the supporting cast.
Surrounding the Cavs, conference rivals have scrambled to catch up to the reigning NBA Champions Boston Celtics. While the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers spent the summer investing in outside talent and going all in, the Cavaliers have invested in a young team with an array of development talent and veteran leadership. The Knicks opened the offseason floodgates by trading for Mikal Bridges in a historical haul. The Sixers stole Paul George from the LA Clippers with a max contract. Outside of a new rookie in town, the Cavaliers are identical to last season in terms of roster construction.
Despite endless calls for trades and changes, the Cavs have remained committed to their initial plan to trust in the young core's growth. All-Star guard Darius Garland refuted trade request rumors, and Donovan Mitchell reportedly campaigned for Jarrett Allen to stick around. Still, Cleveland has made major decisions this summer from the coaching staff to their future cap sheet.
How, then, does each move (or lack thereof) rank for the Cavaliers?
Hiring Kenny Atkinson & Co.
The first move Cleveland made was firing head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and replacing him with the Golden State Warriors lead assistant coach Kenny Atkinson. Alongside Atkinson, the Cavs hired New York Knicks assistant coach Johnnie Bryant, former NBA player DeMarre Carroll and Jordan Ott.
Cleveland needed a new voice and leader. Atkinson brings a fresh perspective to the Cavs' unorthodox composition, but his time with the Warriors could be the key to unlocking the potential. During the 2022 NBA Finals run, Golden State ran a non-shooting frontcourt with Draymond Green and Kevon Looney. Green's intelligent passing and handling allows GSW to maneuver around his and Looney's lacking spacing.
While the Cavaliers do not have Stephen Curry on roster, Mitchell and Garland have showcased elite shooting talent, and Mobley and Allen have performed better than their Warriors counterparts in recent seasons. If there is a coach to sort out Cleveland's clunky offense, it very well could be Atkinson.
Throughout the offseason, Atkinson will work with the French National Team in the 2024 Summer Olympics as an assistant coach. In an interview with the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, Atkinson spoke on how he believes he can improve the Cavs' offensive efficiency by implementing concepts and ideas from the international game.
"We run a set with Team France that I'm like 'I'm taking this"... You think you've seen everything, but it's just a different game... So, I'm going to come back from this experience with Team France as a better coach."
- Kenny Atkinson
Cleveland's choice to hire Atkinson clearly revolved around his offensive mind after years of struggling to break through a middling offensive philosophy. With a rising star in Evan Mobley and four All-Star talents, the Cavaliers never emerged as a leading NBA offense under Bickerstaff. With Atkinson's experience as the head coach with the Brooklyn Nets and his time under Tyron Lue in LA and Steve Kerr in the Bay, Cleveland landed the best possible offensive coordinator available on the market this summer.
Grade: A
Atkinson still has plenty to prove with the Cavaliers, but the potential to advance this team under new leadership is clear.