CLEVELAND, Ohio — The most revealing moment from the Wine and Gold Talk podcast came when host Ethan Sands brought up the jarring personality shift that occurred during last season’s playoff collapse against Indiana for Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson.
“Well, I gotta make sure that I don’t turn into playoff Kenny instead of regular season Kenny,” Sands recalled from an interview with Atkinson before the postseason began, “a little bit of over foresight on your part there. Kenny Atkinson, because you became playoff Kenny.”
This transformation – from a coach who preached depth and balance to one who dramatically shortened his rotation and abandoned previously successful strategies – may have cost Cleveland dearly in their second-round exit.
According to cleveland.com Cavs beat reporter Chris Fedor, Atkinson has been obsessively reviewing what went wrong: “he has rewatched the Indiana series so many different times, trying to study that and learn from that.”
This fixation on past mistakes represents the core of Atkinson’s summer project – rebuilding both his coaching philosophy and player relationships after the trust fractured during their playoff disappointment.
The coach’s playoff transformation manifested most clearly in his rotation decisions.
After emphasizing depth all season, Atkinson suddenly lost faith in key bench contributors like Ty Jerome and Isaac Okoro — who are no longer on the roster — and Dean Wade when pressure mounted.
As Fedor noted, “what did Kenny do? He went away from Isaac, he had to go away from Ty Jerome. Not as many minutes for Dean Wade because he didn’t have as much trust in him.”
This collapse of trust became a two-way street.
While Atkinson abandoned his regular-season principles, players simultaneously failed to inspire confidence.
Fedor explained this delicate balance: “as much as it’s his job to instill confidence in his players, the players have to instill confidence in Kenny that Kenny can call their number and they can be effective in whatever environment it is where they’re called upon.”
The good news for Cavs fans is that Atkinson has fully dedicated himself to addressing these issues.
Unlike last summer, when international coaching commitments with France and the interview process consumed his attention, Atkinson has made player connections his priority.
“He spent some time with Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter out in Los Angeles. He spent some time with Darius Garland, going through the whole recovery plan with the doctors ... he went out to see Sam Merrill, he went out to see Donovan Mitchell,” Fedor revealed.
This investment in relationships extends beyond X’s and O’s to rebuilding what Fedor calls “on-court trust” – a critical element that disappeared when the pressure intensified against Indiana.
“When things get difficult, you usually revert,” Fedor explained, “and it’s when those things get difficult and the pressure ramps up, continue to trust, continue to believe, continue to do the things that helped you become a 64-win team.”
Atkinson’s summer of self-reflection represents more than just strategic adjustments. It’s about ensuring that “Playoff Kenny” never reappears – that when elimination games arrive, he trusts both his system and his players enough to maintain the identity that made Cleveland successful.
As Sands aptly summarized: “When it comes to internal development, is not just players but coaches.”
Want to hear Atkinson’s full thoughts on his playoff performance and summer of growth? Listen to the complete Wine and Gold Talk podcast with Chris Fedor and Ethan Sands for exclusive insights into the Cavs’ championship pursuit.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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