Kenny Atkinson has been a breath of fresh air so far

Heading into his first season as head coach of the Cavaliers, Kenny Atkinson said he planned to embrace the team’s depth.

So far, Atkinson has delivered on that pledge.

Unlike his predecessor – who managed each regular-season game with tight, playoff-style rotations – Atkinson has turned to his bench early and often.

The overall result has been a balanced attack, a free-flowing offense and two wins against weaker teams to start the 2024-2025 season.

The reserves amassed 64 points in Cleveland’s Game 1 blowout in Toronto, led by Caris LeVert with 19 points and Ty Jerome with 16.

While the bench wasn’t nearly as prolific in Friday night’s home opener against the Pistons, Atkinson utilized seven reserves in the 113-101 Cleveland victory.

LeVert chipped in nine points in the win over Detroit, while Jerome again provided a huge spark off the bench with 13 points and four assists.

LeVert, Sam Merrill, Georges Niang, Isaac Okoro and Jerome each played more than 15 minutes.

If it were any other team, this might not seem like earth-shattering news. But Atkinson’s rotations have been a refreshing change of pace compared to former Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who lacked trust in his reserves and refused to develop his younger players.

Jerome, in particular, already has emerged as the kind of player who can make a big impact off the bench.

“He’s been good since we started in open gym in September,” Atkinson told reporters after the game. “He’s been fantastic. I think that injury was a little bit of a wakeup call. I know he’s dedicated a lot of work to his body and getting healthy. It’s paying off.”