CLEVELAND, Ohio – What was the point of the Cavs changing coaches last summer?
They fired J.B. Bickerstaff, replaced him with Kenny Atkinson … and ended up in the same place.
Just like a year ago, the Cavs were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in five games.
I’ve received emails from some fans, asking that question.
It’s an easy comment, partly fueled by frustration. But is it fair?
The Cavs had the most victories in the Eastern Conference with 64 – that’s 16 more than a year ago. Yet both seasons saw the Cavs booted out of the playoffs in the second round.
I thought it was a bad idea to fire Bickerstaff. A few times, I wrote about why I’d have kept him as coach for the 2024-25 season. Once Bickerstaff was dismissed, I pushed for the Cavs to hire Atkinson.
The reason for mentioning this is to serve as background for why I plan to deliver a strong defense for Atkinson. Like a year ago, I believe he is the right coach at the right time for this team.
Cavs President Koby Altman has hired two terrific coaches. Bickerstaff was quickly hired by Detroit. He took over a team that was 14-68 and led them to a 44-38 record. Atkinson led the Cavs to a 64-18 record, the second best in franchise history.
Bickerstaff came in second in the NBA Coach of the Year voting … to Atkinson.
The Coach of the Year voting is done right before the end of the regular season. That means the playoffs are not part of the decision process for the voters.
The point is the Cavs didn’t have a major coaching problem before … and they don’t now.
Cavs vs. Pacers Game 3
Coach Rick Carlisle has his Pacer peaking at the right time. They are 44-16 (counting playoffs) since January 1, 2025.AP
Maybe it’s Indiana’s year
Altman believed the Cavs needed more variety on offense and also more use of the bench than the team had under Bickerstaff. Those were fair criticisms.
It also was true Bickerstaff dealt with major injuries throughout his final Cleveland season. The Core Four of Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen missed a combined 89 games.
They missed only 29 total games in 2024-25. That was part of the plan for Atkinson – help the key players stay as healthy as possible for the playoffs. The coach did that. But they still had injuries.
De’Andre Hunter (dislocated thumb) and Mobley (sprained ankle) were hurt in Game 1 of the Indiana series. Garland was already out with a toe injury. All three players missed Game 2. When they returned to the court in Game 3, the Cavs were down 0-2 to Indiana. Mobley played well. Garland was hobbled. Hunter wasn’t quite right.
The Cavs were eliminated by the Pacers in five games.
Those same Indiana Pacers had a 34-14 regular season record after January 1. They now are 10-2 in the Playoffs, including a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference Finals vs. New York. The Pacers won both games at Madison Square Garden.
Indiana has a 6-game playoff road winning streak.
At his postseason press conference, Altman mentioned the four teams still playing (New York, Indiana, Oklahoma City and Minnesota) all had their key players on the court during their drives to the NBA’s Final Four.
Yes, injuries and luck are factors. So is a talented team with a great, veteran coach such as Rick Carlisle, who has his Pacers healthy and peaking at the right time.
FYI: A year ago, the Cavs were eliminated by Boston ... which went on to win the 2024 NBA title.
Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman speaks to the media during his end-of-season availability at the Cleveland Clinic courts.
Cavs President Koby Altman mentioned the four teams remaining in the NBA playoffs have not had any key players hurt during the post season. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Some criticisms
I second-guessed Atkinson for not using Craig Porter Jr. more. The young point guard is a poised ball-handler and could have dealt better with Indiana’s pressure defense than Ty Jerome and a sometimes limping Darius Garland.
But Porter wasn’t going to change the outcome of the series.
Getting the ball inside more often to Mobley and Allen would have helped the offense … but Indiana was going to win the series.
The Cavs still ache from losing Game 2 when they blew a 7-point lead in the final minute. There were problems with in-bounds plays and rebounding missed free throws. That also was the game where Hunter, Garland and Mobley all sat out.
In the basketball rear-view mirror, I believe Indiana would have won that series even if the Cavs pulled out Game 2. They never were able to handle Indiana’s relentless defense, which also took apart Milwaukee and now New York in the playoffs.
Atkinson has to improve as a coach, and he probably will do so. He now has had a full season with his new team, and that should serve both parties well – the coach and players.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers in game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, May 13, 2025
Evan Mobley has become the NBA's top defensive player. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
The case for Atkinson
When Atkinson was hired, he was given the mission of improving playing the bench more and the starters less. He did that.
He was supposed to upgrade the Cavs offense. More ball movement. More good 3-point shots. More assists. More total points while still having a top 10 defensive team.
He also did all that.
The Cavs led the NBA in scoring and offensive efficiency. They were second in field goal percentage and 3-point shooting percentage.
In the Indiana series, they averaged 114.2 points. In the previous two playoffs under Bickerstaff, the Cavs averaged 94.2 points (vs. New York, 2023) and 98.1 points (vs. Orlando and Boston, 2024).
Overall, I like what Atkinson has done with the Cavs. The offense and shooting are better. Mobley keeps improving. He was voted the NBA’s top Defensive Player and named to the NBA’s second all-league team. Mitchell was a first-team selection.
Mitchell, Garland and Mobley made the 2025 All-Star team. This team has real talent. Two second-round exits shouldn’t diminish that fact.
The Core Four are all between the ages of 23 and 28. They are all on multi-year contracts, meaning there’s no summer free agent agony coming, wondering if a key player will stay or leave.
While I still have some doubts about being able to win a title with the Garland/Mitchell backcourt, those two were much better in 2024-25 than in the previous two seasons.
Atkinson can use the playoff loss to instill a more physical edge to the team. It’s not about turning them into a collection of hockey brawlers. They actually out-rebounded Indiana (229-208) in the series. Offensive rebounds went to the Cavs, 70-35.
The Cavs need to be mentally more focused to handle the defensive pressure of a team such as Indiana. That falls to Atkinson. I also believe will learn from some of the coaching mistakes he made.
The hardest thing for a good team trying to become great is not to make any major changes. Sometimes, a team and a coach need another year to grow together. That should be the case with the Cavs.