If you told a Cleveland Cavaliers fan two months ago that everything would turn out fine in the middle of free agency, they would have laughed at your face or sighed wishing it would be true.
The Cavaliers’ locker room was rife with drama after the team’s second-round loss to the Boston Celtics. The discord within the team got so severe that rumors started flying around that the front office was ready to start clearing house.
However, it became clear that the Cavs would rather suffer through another playoff exit than allow Donovan Mitchell to walk. The guard has been crucial to the Cavaliers’ stellar postseason performances as of late, and letting him leave the team would only hamper their chances of winning a second NBA title.
Their desire to keep Mitchell in The Land is one of the primary reasons why they hired Kenny Atkinson in the first place. However, keeping the franchise centerpiece happy isn’t the only thing Atkinson will be doing during his reign as the primary tactician.
Kenny Atkinson promises to build a winning culture within the Cleveland Cavaliers organization
Atkinson may not have much to show in his career as a head coach during his stint with the Brooklyn Nets. However, he’s seen how culture can affect the Warriors after helping the Dubs win their fourth title in the Stephen Curry era.
You can sense that his experience with Golden State rubbed off on him as he explained his plans on how to lead the team, per Caleb Crowley of King James Gospel:
“Get to know your players. Establish your relationships… Before we talk about tactics and what style of play, it’s really that. And I really believe that’s, you know, a big part of player development. Establishing relationships. I’m going full-in on that… That was our first task.”
Crowley also reported that he immediately tried building a rapport with Donovan Mitchell, who was holding his Spida Elite Camp in the city. In a visit to the camp with the front office, Atkinson immediately tried creating a connection with the star who is reportedly close to signing an extension with the team.
Of course, lip service can only get Kenny Atkinson so far. He needs to walk the talk if the Cleveland Cavaliers would make any meaningful progress in the coming years.
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