When the Cleveland Cavaliers named Kenny Atkinson as the team’s next head coach, there was one focus in mind: offense. With Atkinson at the helm, Cleveland is expected to be more dynamic on offense, based on a predicated motion-based offense. He wants the Cavs to play with pace and make three-pointers while moving the ball and empowering his players to make the right reads.
Seventeen games into their regular season campaign, the Cavs have been the hottest team in basketball, playing a much more balanced game. It’s led to Cleveland owning the NBA’s best offense, scoring 123.0 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, a top-ten defense gives the Cavs the best net rating in the NBA, meaning they’re outscoring opponents by 11.7 points per 100 possessions.
Despite Cleveland’s rock-solid start—they have only lost once under Atkinson—things are far from complete. Atkinson has admitted that Cleveland’s offense is still a work in progress. The early returns and results are far better than many had hoped. However, heading into the Cavs’ home matchup against the Toronto Raptors, Atkinson revealed where he believes Cleveland’s offense is at.
“I think 70% or maybe 65%,” Atkinson said. I think the good thing is with us is that we play more on principles than having 25 different plays or 30 different plays.
“We try to keep it simple, our formation simple and our spacing simple. Then we try to get a trigger out of it and then off of that we play on principles. So, it’s cutting principles. Drive and kick principles. Pick and roll principles. What you’re supposed to do and do on each type of action.”
What level could the Cavs reach on offense under Kenny Atkinson?
“I think the NBA has shifted a little more from running a ton of plays to more of how do you create this chaotic environment but with shared principles,” Atkinson continued. “… I think, in my soul, that’s where I prefer to play.”
Again, Atkinson still views Cleveland as incomplete on offense. Much of that can be attributed to the Cavs dealing with injuries since training camp. However, Atkinson realizes that the Cavs cannot rush to the finish line and must learn, grow, and enjoy the journey to their final destination.
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But for Cleveland to get there, Atkinson knows he cannot reinvent the wheel. Instead, the Cavs’ new head coach knows he has to build up their offense by leaning on the team’s greatest strength: their defense.
“You can easily lose sight of your identity, your strength,” said Atkinson. “It really shows that we know what the backbone of this team is. What their strength is. They’ve bought into that, and they keep buying into it. That’s really important.”
While Cleveland has allowed the nineteenth most points in the NBA this year, that doesn’t mean the Cavs aren’t bought in. Since Cleveland has scored the second most points in the league, creating a scoring margin of +209, it’s clear that the Cavs are locking in on opponents and doing more than enough to turn most matchups into a blowout.
“There are layers to getting players to buy in, and we’re trying to hit all the layers,” said Atkinson. “… So, it’s definitely not one piece. There are a lot of pieces to it. So, we’ve been hammering it, and the hard thing in this league is to continue doing it. I think we’re doing a great job, but we’ve got to keep going.”
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