Cleveland Cavaliers president Koby Altman doesn’t believe the team is far away from competing for a championship and that two of his top guys haven’t peaked. The outfit must validate his talk with at least a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024-25.
“I’m coming here to give it more of a push”, Kenny Atkinson, the new Cavs coach said at his inaugural press conference. He also hinted at playing faster to offset his big men not being shooters and keeping the established defensive identity.
The Wine and Gold are talented enough to make noise, and with Atkinson and his staff, the group is surrounded by vibrant minds whose head specializes in maxing out his players. It should be a breakout campaign for the team despite a summer of little activity.
There’s a lot to like about the team in the future. Donovan Mitchell’s extension postponed the contract talk until his player option for the 2027-28 season. Jaylon Tyson, the 6-foot-6 scoring guard, was picked 20th on Draft night, giving the club lots of value. And the starters have continuity, building on a tight defense that ranked seventh in 2023-24.
Considering the size of Cleveland's backcourt and the commitment to it, the Cavs should strive to be a modern-age Bad Boy Pistons team, minus the dirty play. The former back-to-back champs’ two best players stood at 6-foot-1 (Isiah Thomas) and 6-foot-3 (Joe Dumars), yet they were committed to defense and worked well off each other. The Pistons were also boosted by quality skilled bigs.
Let’s review areas where growth is needed to take that next step this season…
Elevating Evan Mobley's ball handling & playmaking
Evan Mobley tightening his handle and expanding as a playmaker will take pressure off Jarrett Allen and the backcourt. Polishing this area would greatly benefit the Cavaliers because of all the mismatches that could be punished on inverted sets.
And since Atkinson spent three years as an assistant in Golden State, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he emphasizes to Evan Mobley the importance of emulating Draymond Green’s set-up plays in transition and the half court. With upgraded maneuverability, he could capitalize on more drives to the basket and initiate the offense with higher frequency after a defensive rebound.
Atkinson mentioned wanting to run Allen and Mobley screen rolls at his inaugural press conference, too. This action gives Mitchell, DG and Strus a break, being the cutters or shooters with eyes unfocused on them if the shot isn’t there for the bigs.
Keep in mind that Atkinson was present in Golden State when Kevon Looney and Green, two non-outside threats, worked in the interior. The coach will instruct the passing necessary to suppress a lack of shooting for Allen and Mobley.