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Draymond Green podcast

Draymond agrees: Cavs’ ball movement is ‘Warriors-esque’

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The Cavs exploded for 37 points in the fourth quarter of their 144-126 win over the Bulls Friday night, and they score more points per game than any other team in the NBA.

When the Golden State Warriors came to town on Nov. 8, the Cavaliers put up an 83-spot in the first half.

You don’t have to remind Draymond Green about that Cavalanche.

“I think these Cleveland Cavaliers are serious, and I’m gonna tell you why I think they’re serious,” Green said on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “That ball humming so crazy … my head was spinning they was moving that ball so fast.”

Green emphasized: “They moving the ball so crazy.”

Green heaped praise on coach Kenny Atkinson – who spent the previous three seasons as an assistant with the Warriors – and the “mindset” Atkinson has brought to Cleveland.

“You see it in Darius Garland,” Green asserted. “Darius Garland is playing at an all-star level – an NBA-starter all-star level.”

Green also called out Evan Mobley: “The way Evan Mobley is playing is what you thought Evan Mobley would be coming out of college.”

That game left an indelible impression on Green’s co-host as well. Davis said the Cavs’ collective energy level has taken a quantum leap this year. He also marveled at the team’s depth.

The Cavaliers are a “dangerous” matchup for any team, Davis explained, because they have so many “offensive weapons.”

“They got breakdown players, they got shooters, they got guys who can play iso one-on-one,” Davis said.

They also have a plethora of players who can hit clutch shots, Davis added.

In his postgame comments Friday night, Atkinson attributed the crisp ball movement and free-flowing offense to the team’s chemistry and balanced mix of scorers and “connectors.”

Atkinson said he got a kick out of Green’s comments.

“He was just really impressed how we ping the ball around,” Atkinson told reporters. “How we drive, kick, swing; we get it out of pick-and-roll; we get it out of fast-break situations. It’s Warriors-esque – it’s really that type of ball movement. It’s beautiful to watch.”

I should note that when Green recorded his podcast, he insisted that Boston is the team to beat in the NBA. But that didn’t stop him from lavishing superlatives on the undefeated Cavs.

“I think this team – they got something there,” Green said. “ … I’m telling you, I like that team.”

 

Shaquille O'Neal

The Cavs are 14-0, but Shaq isn’t buying into Kenny Atkinson

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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:

 

New Orleans

Cavs set a franchise record in the Big Easy, and they make it look kinda easy

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We have a fruit-fly infestation in our home, and the Cavaliers set a franchise record by starting the season 9-0.

I’d rather talk about the Cavs.

The Cavaliers fell behind early, tied it at halftime and then overpowered the Pelicans in the second half. They’re absolutely rolling.

I’d like to tell you it wasn’t easy in the Big Easy, just so I can use that line, but … it kinda was. At least in the second half. Even with the Pelicans outscoring the Cavs 34-32 in the fourth quarter – and even with the disparity in foul shots – it never felt like the win streak was in serious jeopardy. The Cavs are just too locked-in right now.

Here are some initial thoughts. With my ADHD brain, it’s hard to corral all of them.

  1. I think it’s safe to say that this is a really good situation for Kenny Atkinson, who now holds the record for the longest winning streak by a coach in their first year with a team. Atkinson inherited a team that made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. But he also got a group that must be a coach’s dream: talented, no-nonsense, unselfish. There’s great chemistry, and not a whiff of any LeBron-size egos. Most of them have been playing together for a few years, so there’s familiarity, continuity and trust. And they’re mostly healthy.
  2. Atkinson brings “a calm sort of confidence,” Caris LeVert told reporters after the Cavs won their ninth straight to start the season. “He never panics. I think he just fits perfectly with the group. It’s kind of been a seamless transfer.”
  3. That calm confidence was palpable when the Cavs fell behind early in the game. They steadily chipped away at a 12-point Pelicans lead, tying the game at 59-59 by halftime.
  4. The Cavs are a team that looks ready to take the next step, and Atkinson – after three years as an assistant to Steve Kerr in Golden State – looks like he’s ready to take his coaching career to the next level. He’s in the perfect spot to do that.
  5. One of the kids left an open smoothie bottle on the kitchen table. When we came back from a five-day trip to upstate New York, there were fruit flies everywhere. When I saw a cloud of fruit flies enveloping the smoothie bottle, it was clear that something comparable to an orgy had taken place in there.
  6. Speaking of smoothies, it seemed like there were a lot of empty seats at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The official attendance was 15,694, but the margin of error is a couple thousand, right?
  7. Atkinson was a hot topic of conversation during the Cavs postgame show. On Atkinson’s decision to pass up potential head-coaching jobs so he could continue working with Kerr in  Golden State, Austin Carr opined: “[Atkinson] knew he had to have a little bit more polish on his coaching game.” It sure seems like things are clicking for Atkinson now.
  8. LeVert picked up right where he left off after missing the last couple games with knee soreness. LeVert had 16 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win over New Orleans.
  9. “It’s just a fun group to play with,” LeVert told reporters after the game. “We enjoy being around each other. And we’re getting better every game.”
  10. I can’t say enough about Ty Jerome. He had 11 points, five assists and two steals in 15:48 of game action. “His IQ is through the roof,” Atkinson said of Jerome, who missed all but two games last year with a severe ankle injury. Not to be overlooked on his list of compliments, Atkinson added: “I’m really happy with his defense too.”
Donovan Mitchell

Musings on the Cavs’ 7-0 start, Kenny Atkinson’s substitutions and Donovan Mitchell’s superstar status

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I just got back from a family wedding in upstate New York, where I learned that there still are places in the continental United States with little to no Wi-Fi or cellular coverage.

That couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time, of course. I ended up missing the Cavaliers’ thrilling 114-113 win over the hapless Bucks Saturday night.

To be clear, even with the luxury of a robust Wi-Fi signal, I probably wouldn’t have watched (much of) the game. There’s no way I would’ve let myself be that guy – the dork who’s glued to a regular-season NBA game at a wedding. But, streaming anything on this bucolic goat farm just wasn’t in the cards, so it’s purely academic at this point.

After watching the game Sunday in the privacy of my home, I have some thoughts that I wanted to record for posterity.

  1. That was one of the best regular-season NBA games I’ve seen in a long time. There’s a grossly grossly overused sports cliché – “This feels like a heavyweight fight” – and I feel comfortable using it to describe this game, a Central Division showdown that featured 19 lead changes. (I also would’ve accepted “This game had a playoff atmosphere.”)
  2. Donovan Mitchell is a heckuva player, but I sometimes wonder if he qualifies as a bona fide superstar. And what, pray tell, are the criteria for being deemed a superstar? A clutch, clutch shot like the game-winner Saturday night in Milwaukee – and his 30-point performance on the second night of a back-to-back – helped answer both questions for me.
  3. FanDuel Sports Network play-by-play announcer John Michael called Mitchell’s game-winning jump shot “the Donovan Dagger.” I think I can work with that.
  4. Mitchell isn’t afraid to talk some smack on the court, and that’s one of the things I like most about him (that, and he can back it up). It brings some much-needed attitude and swagger to an otherwise mild-mannered team.
  5. When the Cavs acquired Mitchell in 2022, Koby Altman said something to the effect that the Cavs were interested in Donovan Mitchell the player and the person. I think about that quote when I watch Mitchell’s interviews with the media. Mitchell is likeable, authentic and well-put-together, and always quick to credit his teammates.
  6. After he cooly drained the game-winning shot Saturday night in Milwaukee, Mitchell told Serena Winters: “That’s not about the shot. That’s about Isaac Okoro’s rebound. We don’t get that possession without Isaac Okoro diving on the floor, calling that timeout, doing the little things. That what it’s all about. … It’s a group effort. I’m proud of the way we fought.”
  7. I really like having Dean Wade in the starting lineup. I like his size and length, his tenacious defense and his hustle. If you’re looking for a stat-sheet stuffer, this isn’t your guy. But if you’re looking for an athletic big who can knock down a few 3-pointers, snag some key rebounds and doggedly defend guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo when the game is on the line, look no further than Wade.
  8. It’s great to see Wade being more assertive in the paint this season. In the past, Wade was a bit timid. He’d get the ball and immediately kick it out to someone on the perimeter. If he can evolve into a low-post scoring threat, that would be a huge step forward in Wade’s development.
  9. It’s going to be interesting to see what Kenny Atkinson does when Max Strus returns. I know where I stand on this issue (see Thought No. 8).
  10. I love Atkinson’s substitutions. With Caris LeVert nursing a sore knee, Atkinson relied heavily on Sam Merrill and Isaac Okoro, and they both provided a spark that the Cavs desperately needed.
  11. As expected, the once-mighty Bucks (now 1-5) came out with a chip on their shoulder in the first quarter. When it looked like the game was getting out of hand, Merrill steadied the ship with three first-quarter 3-pointers, and Okoro drained another to pull the Cavs within seven. Merrill finished with 17 points (and he drew a charge), and Okoro was 3-of-4 from 3-point range, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds while playing his little heart out trying to corral Damian Lillard (unsuccessfully, I might add). Little-used point guard Craig Porter Jr. dropped a couple dimes in 5:26 of playing time.
  12. Jarrett Allen is listed at 6-9 (6-10 with the fro), and he’s kind of slight compared to a lot of the other centers and power forwards in the league. Despite giving up some height and width to guys like Giannis, Joel Embiid and Brook Lopez, Allen will mix it up with anybody – as evidenced by his 15-point, 12-rebound performance in Milwaukee. Lunchpail in hand, The Fro does what The Fro does, and we love him for it.
  13. The Cavaliers are playing with a lot of confidence right now. On the second night of a back-to-back – against a desperate team playing in front of a raucous home crowd – the Cavs took the Bucks’ best shot and didn’t flinch. They stayed as cool as the statue of Arthur Fonzarelli on the Milwaukee waterfront.
  14. As mentioned earlier, the Bucks are 1-5. Yes, it’s a long season. But it seems like the perennial championship contenders have lost their mojo. The superficial take is the Bucks simply don’t have the supporting cast that they’ve had in years past, forcing Antetokounmpo and Lillard to shoulder a disproportionate amount of the load. If the Bucks don’t turn things around soon, expect the Antetokounmpo trade rumors to hit a fever pitch.
  15. Merrill is a stone-cold assassin. The guy can get set for a 3-point shot faster than you can say “I wanna see ya in a Ken Ganley Kia.”
Kenny Atkinson

Kenny Atkinson has been a breath of fresh air so far

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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.”

 

Kenny Atkinson

Cavs finalize Kenny Atkinson’s coaching staff for 2024-2025 season

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With the ouster of J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavaliers’ coaching staff will have a new look this season, although there are a few familiar faces in the mix.

Earlier this month, Atkinson and Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced that the Cavs have finalized their coaching staff for the 2024-2025 season.

Johnnie Bryant replaces Greg Buckner as associate head coach. Bryant, who played college basketball at the University of Utah, spent the last four seasons with the New York Knicks as associate head coach.

Atkinson’s assistant coaches are:

  • Jordan Ott
  • Mike Gerrity
  • DeMarre Carroll
  • Trevor Hendry
  • Omar Cook
  • Bryan Tibaldi
  • Nate Reinking

To support the coaching staff, the Cavaliers have hired Alex Sarama as director of player development and Patrick Licursi as advance scout.

Other support personnel are:

  • DJ Ham – Player development/video assistant
  • Andrew Olson – Shooting coach
  • Austin Peterson as manager of coaching analytics
  • Aaron Robinson – Video assistant
  • Luke Webb – Video assistant
  • Adrian Culea – Special assistant to the head coach

Coaches’ Bios

Johnnie Bryant

Johnnie Bryant brings over a decade of NBA experience to Atkinson’s staff, including the previous four seasons as associate head coach of the New York Knicks.

Before joining New York, Bryant spent eight seasons with the Utah Jazz, serving as an assistant coach for six seasons (2014-2020) and two seasons as a player development assistant (2012-2014). Additionally, he ran the Bryant Sports Academy for three years (2009-2012), which helped develop the skills of NBA players along with numerous European players.

Bryant played left the University of Utah as the 20th all-time leading scorer (1,301 points) and the leader in 3-point field goal percentage (.440) while also earning dual bachelor’s degrees in human development and family studies and sports management. Following his college career, the Oakland, California, native went on to play professionally overseas in Germany.

Jordan Ott

Ott was most recently an assistant coach for the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers (2022-2024).

Prior to his tenure with the Lakers, Ott served as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets for six seasons (2016-2022), where he worked under Atkinson on the sidelines for his first four years in Brooklyn. Before working as an NBA assistant coach, Ott was the video coordinator for the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 to 2016. He served in the same capacity with the Michigan State men’s basketball program for five seasons (2008-2013) under Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo.

Ott received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 2006 and earned his master’s degree from Michigan State in 2008. The McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, native also served as an assistant coach with the Dominican Republic national team in the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City.

Mike Gerrity

Gerrity joins Atkinson’s staff after serving the previous two seasons (2022-2024) as head coach of the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ exclusively owned and operated NBA G League team.

In his first season at the helm, he led the Charge to a 30-20 record, tying for the second-most regular season wins in team history, as well as securing the franchise’s first playoff win since the 2015-2016 season. Gerrity also served as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers in 2021-2022 and spent three seasons as the team’s Director of Player Development/Assistant Coach from 2018 to 2021.

His additional roles with the organization include two seasons as director of player development for the Charge and player development assistant with the Cavaliers from 2016 to 2018, and an assistant video coordinator in 2013.

Before his coaching career, Gerrity played two seasons in the NBA G League for the Dakota Wizards, Erie BayHawks, and Maine Red Claws. He starred at the University of Southern California in 2009-2010 after playing collegiate basketball at Pepperdine and UNC Charlotte.

DeMarre Carroll

Carroll comes to Cleveland after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the Lakers (2023-24) and Milwaukee Bucks (2022-23).

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Carroll played in the NBA for 11 seasons, including two seasons under Atkinson during their time with the Brooklyn Nets. Over his NBA playing career, Carroll appeared in a combined 578 games (339 starts) for Houston, San Antonio, Brooklyn, Toronto, Atlanta, Utah, Denver and Memphis with averages of 8.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 23.7 minutes.

He made at least 100 three-pointers in four of his NBA seasons and was a starter on Atlanta’s 60-win team in 2014-2015.

Drafted by the Grizzlies as the 27th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Carroll also appeared in 64 career playoff games (52 starts), posting averages of 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 27.4 minutes. He was an All-Big 12 First Team selection during his collegiate years at the University of Missouri.

Trevor Hendry

Hendry arrives in Cleveland after spending the previous two seasons (2022-2024) as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets and the four seasons prior to that (2018-2022) as Brooklyn’s head video coordinator.

Hendry originally joined the Nets organization in 2014, serving in a variety of basketball operations roles prior to entering the video room. He then spent one season (2016-2017) as video and player development assistant for the Long Island Nets in the NBA G League and one season in the same role for the Brooklyn Nets (2017-2018) before becoming head video coordinator for Brooklyn where he worked under Atkinson for parts of four seasons. Prior to joining the Nets organization, the Waterford, Connecticut, native earned both a Bachelor of Arts in business and a Master of Business Administration from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Omar Cook

Cook held the role as assistant coach/player development with the Cavaliers last season.

He originally joined the organization in 2022-2023 as an assistant coach with the Charge after a successful 22-year professional basketball career that included stints in the NBA and NBA G League, as well as playing professionally in over half a dozen countries internationally. Cook has led five different leagues in assists in a season and has been part of two FIBA Champions League winning teams (2020, 2021).

The Brooklyn, New York, native was a McDonalds All-American and First-Team Parade All-American at Christ the King High School and starred at St. John’s University before being drafted by the Orlando Magic as the 31st overall pick in 2001.

Bryan Tibaldi

Tibaldi was most recently the player development/video assistant (2021-2024) for the Cavaliers after joining the organization as an assistant coach with the Charge during the 2019-20 campaign.

Prior to that, he spent two seasons as an assistant at Cleveland State University, two seasons as the director of basketball operations at DePaul (2015-2017), four years as a video coordinator and director of operations at Missouri (2011-2015) and two seasons as assistant video coordinator basketball operations assistant with the Chicago Bulls (2009-2011). A 2007 graduate of Michigan State, Tibaldi was a two-year letter winner as a walk-on for the Spartans.

Following his playing days, Tibaldi was a graduate assistant under Tom Izzo from 2007-2009, earning his master’s in Kinesiology in 2009.

Nate Reinking

Reinking enters his second season as assistant coach with the Cavaliers.

Previously, he was assistant coach/G-League Liaison from 2021-2023 and head coach for the Charge from 2016-2021 when he held a combined 107-101 record over that span.

Reinking has more than 20 years of collegiate, professional and international experience as both a player and coach.

He was named the head coach of the Great Britain National Team in the summer of 2019, leading the team on a 4-0 run, and continuing a record-setting seven-game winning streak, to secure a spot in a EuroBasket 2021 qualifying group. Additionally, he coached the team in the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket Games.

Before beginning his coaching career, Reinking played for Great Britain from 2005-2012, representing the nation in international tournaments such as the Olympics and European Championships. The Galion, Ohio, native graduated from Kent State University in 1996 after a four-year playing career with the Golden Flashes and was inducted into the school’s Varsity “K” Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.

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