A New Look Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended their 2023/24 season at TD Garden with a 98-113 defeat to Joe Mazulla’s Boston Celtics. Without a doubt, their lack of competitiveness in the series was going to raise fans’ eyebrows as they contemplated the viability of head coach JB Bickerstaff. Big-time players for the Cavs such as center Jarrett Allen, who was out with a rib injury, and guard Darius Garland weren’t at their best and there seemed to be no drive whatsoever. The fact that Marcus Morris Sr., who was originally signed to a 10-day contract, was their second highest scorer in a must-win Game 5 says it all. 

Then, the summer came along. The Cavs completely revamped their coaching staff, firing Bickerstaff and bringing in Golden State Warriors Assistant Coach Kenny Atkinson. At face value, Atkinson, a coach known specifically for his player development (as seen with players like Caris LeVert during his stint with Brooklyn), seemed to be a good hire. To couple that, the Cavs signed Johnnie Bryant, who formerly worked with Cavs star Donovan Mitchell at Utah, as an assistant to Atkinson. To fans, this move was only half of the job done. The other half was cleaning up the roster and working on trades, with uncertainty surrounding center Jarrett Allen’s future and Donovan Mitchell’s contract extension. The Cavs managed to patch both of these up as well, keeping Jarrett Allen during the offseason and agreeing to a three-year, $150.3 million maximum contract extension with a player option for the 2027/28 season. The Cavs had just secured an already-historic player for the franchise at such a young age for the foreseeable future and the sky was the limit with the development skills of a coach like Atkinson. Another massive move the Cavs made was handing center Evan Mobley a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie contract, making him the fourth player from the 2021 draft class to earn a maximum rookie contract. Amidst all these contract negotiations, the Cavs decided against making any major signings during the offseason, which added some uncertainty to the fanbase. Question marks arose: Would Atkinson’s player development with the same team as the 2023/24 season be enough to turn the Cavs into a true major force?

In short, it absolutely was enough. As of January 1, 2025, the Cavs sit at the top of the NBA’s Eastern Conference with a 29-4 record. The Boston Celtics, the second-ranked team in the East, sit five games behind the Cavs with a 24-9 record. How was Kenny Atkinson able to transform a fourth-seed Cavs with a 48-34 record and a second-round exit in the postseason into a first-seed team that seemingly looks like a true challenger for the NBA title?

For starters, the three-point percentage has gone up almost four percent. Under Bickerstaff in the 2023/24 season, the Cavs sat 15th in the league in the three-point percentage table with an accuracy of 36.7 percent. Each game, they attempted 36.8 threes on average. Fast forward to 2024/25, where the Cavs have a 40.7 percent three-point percentage and sit atop of the league in the category. With an average of 40.3 threes attempted per game, Atkinson has fostered not only more shot-taking, but also better accuracy over a larger sample size per game. Players like Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade, who were looked at as purely defensive pieces, have now become dual threats and are shooting at career-high numbers. Amongst the league, the Cavs also sit second in terms of points per game (122.4), fifth in assists per game (28.9), and first in field goal percentage (50.9 percent). Atkinson has been at the forefront of an offensive transformation from Bickerstaff’s tenure. 

Not only offensively have the Cavs been extremely efficient, but they have maintained defensive stability during Atkinson’s tenure as well, which was widely regarded as one of Bickerstaff’s biggest strengths as a coach. In terms of defensive rating, or points allowed per 100 possessions, the Cavs have the eighth lowest in the league, with an average of 110.1 points allowed per 100 possessions, with players such as Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Isaac Okoro significantly contributing to this. 

With all these positives in mind, Cavaliers fans need to maintain a humble mindset. The season is over 80 games long, and we haven’t even reached the halfway point so far. From what we’ve seen in previous seasons, the playoffs are a completely different ballgame and essentially the ultimate litmus test. Every player on the roster, even players with limited minutes like Ty Jerome and Jalen Tyson, will have to be on their A-game, as every play matters. While it’s good to acknowledge everything the Cavs have done this season in terms of turning themselves into a true force in the East, it’s important to stay patient and reflect on the season after the playoffs. In terms of the future, the sky’s the limit for what they can accomplish both in the near and foreseeable future in the NBA.