Charles Barkley

Is Kenny Atkinson getting too much credit for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ torrid start?

Former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal seems to think so.

On a recent episode of TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Kenny Smith asked his colleagues if Golden State, Phoenix or Cleveland had the best odds of sustaining their early-season momentum.

“First of all, I want to give Kenny Atkinson some love in Cleveland,” Barkley answered. “He’s doing a fabulous job. Those guys are playing well.”

O’Neal quickly responded: “[Atkinson] ain’t doing nothing. Donovan Mitchell is playing.”

“You don’t believe in coaching because you’re a dummy,” Barkley fired back. “I think Kenny Atkinson has done a fabulous job.”

Shaq’s brusque dismissal of Atkinson might seem preposterous to Cavs fans who see the stark difference in the team’s performance with Atkinson at the helm compared to last season. But it’s not out of character for the four-time NBA champion. In various discussions, O’Neal has doubled down on his view that NBA coaches have a limited impact on the game.

Here are the facts.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 14-0.

They lead the NBA in points per game (123.4), field-goal percentage (52.1%), 3-point percentage (41.8%) and offensive rating (121.8). Their 144-126 victory over Chicago Friday night tied the Denver Nuggets for most points in a game this season.

And they’ve accomplished all of this with largely the same roster as last season. (The only additions are rookie Jaylon Tyson and backup point guard Ty Jerome, who missed 80 games last season with an ankle injury.)

A good coach puts his players in a position to succeed. I’d like to think that most rational human beings would agree that Atkinson has done just that by implementing an up-tempo offense, focusing on player development and utilizing the team’s depth, unlike his predecessor.

Watch the discussion here: