The Cleveland Cavaliers got their man when they hired Kenny Atkinson to be the team's next head coach. Former Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fired by the team following a second-round exit to the Boston Celtics.
Atkinson will now come into a favorable situation where he already has an established starting core and several other reliable rotational players. Despite that, some Cavs fans hitting the "panic button" at the conclusion of last season, their team has improved in many ways over the past couple of campaigns.
Atkinson has been known to do well in situations where he is developing players and maximizing the talent he's been given as a coach. He has Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley coming back as starters, and that's a good spot to be in as a coach. He will likely shake some things up, change some rotations and deliver a more motion-style offense that likes to push the tempo. This Cavs team is built to do that in many ways, making Atkinson's arrival a worthwhile sight.
There's plenty of optimism as fans look to see Atkinson build his new team up and reach new levels of success. It's been good to see Cleveland make it to the postseason now the last two years. Now the league will see if Atkinson can get this team closer to an NBA title.
There have been plenty of former Cavs coaches who started in Cleveland with aspirations of success and potential championships, but most failed. Only Tyronn Lue earned an NBA Championship in 2016. While the titles haven't been there many former Cavs coaches have had successes. Some though have not. Let's take a look back at the Cavs coaches of the past and the records they have accomplished for better or for worse.