Latest news with #KennyAtkinson
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-NBA Star Kendrick Perkins Sends Brutal Message to Donovan Mitchell on Playoff Struggles
Ex-NBA Star Kendrick Perkins Sends Brutal Message to Donovan Mitchell on Playoff Struggles originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cleveland Cavaliers hitched their wagon to Donovan Mitchell last season when they fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff for him. Advertisement They hired Kenny Atkinson to replace him in hopes of convincing the former Utah Jazz star to sign an extension. He eventually re-upped with Cleveland and they clearly believed he was the guy who could lead them to the promised land. Less than a year later, the Cavs suffered another disappointing playoff exit and with such an expensive roster there aren't many additions that can be made. This means that unless the roster magically ascends to true championship contention, the only way forward is to retool or blow the team up and start over. May 9, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Mitchell is statistically one of the best playoff performers to ever play basketball, so it's hard to blame him for his teams' shortcomings in the postseason. Advertisement However, he has put himself into unwanted company by becoming one of the longest tenured stars in NBA history to never reach the conference finals. Retired NBA star Kendrick Perkins ripped into Mitchell recently, saying, 'A Donovan Mitchell-led team has never been to the conference finals.' The six-time All-Star has reached the playoffs in every year of his playing career, but the second round is the furthest he's gotten. The past few seasons have seen the pressure ratchet up on Philadelphia 76ers' superstar Joel Embiid for not making the conference in his nine-year playing career and now Mitchell is beginning to catch the same heat. Advertisement The only superstar with a longer streak is Chris Paul who finally reached the conference finals with the Houston Rockets in 2018, 13 years into his career. Some of the criticism is unfair, but when you are as great as Mitchell is and consistently have highly seeded teams, the expectation is to win on a grand scale. Until the Cavs finally break through, Mitchell will continue to be scrutinized. Related: Cavs Give Promising Update on Donovan Mitchell's Playoff Status This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley make All-NBA Teams
Cleveland Cavaliers stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley were named to an All-NBA team on Friday evening. Mitchell made All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career. Mobley made All-NBA Second Team. It was the first time in Mobley's career that he made an All-NBA Team. This is the third time that two Cavaliers received All-NBA honors in the same season. The other two were Mark Price and Brad Daugherty in 1991-92 and LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in 2014-15. Advertisement Mitchell joined Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Jayson Tatum on All-NBA First Team. All-NBA Second Team was comprised of Mobley, Jalen Brunson, Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, and James. Darius Garland received one vote for All-NBA Second Team and three votes for All-NBA Third Team, but missed out on making an All-NBA team by a wide margin. Mitchell and Mobley deserved these honors. This was Mitchell's most impressive regular season. He scaled his game back throughout the year to fit into Kenny Atkinson's egalitarian offense. This meant less playing time and a slightly lower usage than the year before. Advertisement That didn't affect Mitchell's counting stats too much. He finished the regular season averaging 24 points, five assists, and 4.5 rebounds on .443/.368/.823 shooting splits. Mitchell also became just the third Cavalier to make All-NBA First Team, joining LeBron James (eight times) and Mark Price (once). Mobley had by far the most successful year of his career. He'll leave the season having made his first All-Star Game, won his first Defensive Player of the Year, and made his first All-NBA team. This is on top of being named to the All-Defensive Team. As impressive as this year was from Mobley, he still has room to grow. He's shown that he has the skills to continue to expand his offensive game to another level. Mobley has the talent and work ethic to turn a weakness like his outside shooting into a strength. It'll be interesting to see what he adds to his game for next season. Advertisement Mobley finished the season averaging 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on .557/370/.725 shooting splits. With the selection, Mobley became just the fifth Cavalier to receive an All-NBA honor. He joined James (10 times), Price (four times), Mitchell (three times), Daugherty (once), and Irving (once). More from
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson wins NBA Coach of the Year for his first season with Cavaliers
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson is believable while insisting he would have preferred to defeat the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals over becoming the recipient a prestigious end-of-season NBA award. Nevertheless, Atkinson was named NBA Coach of the Year on Monday, May 5, less than 24 hours after the top-seeded Cavs fell 121-112 to the fourth-seeded Pacers to begin their best-of-seven, second-round playoff series. The league announced the Coach of the Year results on TNT. Advertisement 'No thoughts. I'd rather beat Indiana. That's my thoughts on that,' said Atkinson, who helped the Cavs sweep the eighth-seeded Miami Heat 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Atkinson's competitive fire aided the Cavs during a historic season. He is the third Coach of the Year in Cavs history. The others are Mike Brown (2008-09) and Bill Fitch (1975-76). Kenny Atkinson shaped by his 7 brothers: Cleveland Cavaliers coach embraces pressure to succeed in playoffs Former Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff finished runner-up in NBA Coach of the Year voting for his first season with the Detroit Pistons The Cavs hired Atkinson in June to replace J.B. Bickerstaff, whom the Detroit Pistons later hired as their coach. Advertisement Atkinson, Bickerstaff and Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka were the three finalists for Coach of the Year. A media panel of 100 voters picked the winner based on performances throughout the 2024-25 regular season. Atkinson received 401 points in the voting system used by the league, followed by Bickerstaff with 305 and Udoka with 113. In the regular season, the Cavs went 64-18 to earn the East's No. 1 playoff seed and the Central Division title. They had winning streaks of 15 and 16 games, with their longest losing streak spanning just four games. Only two other teams in franchise history have reached 60 regular-season wins — 66-16 in 2008-09 and 61-21 in 2009-10. The Cavs have been the East's top playoff seed four times. Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson smiles as he watches the action against the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 20, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York. With Kenny Atkinson in his first year as Cavs boss, the Cleveland Cavaliers finished the 2024-25 regular season with the NBA's top offense Among the NBA's 30 teams, the Cavs finished the regular season first in offensive rating (121) and eighth in defensive rating (111.8) Advertisement 'He's got his hands all over this team,' Cavs small forward Max Strus said in April of Atkinson. 'We've gotten better in every aspect of the game, I think. But I'd say offensively, just our strategic game plans and organizationally with our spacing and whatnot, just how to utilize this team best, I think that is where he's really helped us.' Atkinson became the fifth coach in NBA history to win 64-plus games in his first season with a team. The others who accomplished the feat are Bill Sharman (69 wins with the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers), Phil Jackson (67 wins with the 1999-2000 Lakers), Steve Kerr (67 wins with the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors) and Flip Saunders (64 wins with the 2005-06 Pistons). Sharman, Jackson and Kerr guided their teams to an NBA title in those same seasons. Cavs injury nrews: Kenny Atkinson upset with no-calls. De'Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley questionable for Game 2 Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers in a second-round NBA playoff series May 4, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland Cavs credit Kenny Atkinson with empowering Cavaliers players Atkinson's NBA Coach of the Year award was foreshadowed. On April 19, the National Basketball Coaches Association named him its coach of the year, an honor voted on by the NBA's coaches. He was also named the NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month twice this season. Advertisement 'It's the level of empowerment that he's given each individual on this team,' Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said in April of Atkinson's contributions. 'We've talked about it for so long, and you've seen it in the play. You've seen it in guys. You've seen it in the camaraderie, the chemistry.' As for Bickerstaff and Udoka, their teams made the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round. Bickerstaff led the Pistons to a record of 44-38 in the regular season a year after they went 14-68. Udoka guided the Rockets to a record of 52-30 during his second season in charge of Houston. Bickerstaff went 170-159 and 6-11 in the playoffs in four-plus seasons as coach of the Cavs. Last season, the Cavs went 48-34 before beating the Orlando Magic 4-3 in the first round of the playoffs and losing 4-1 to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Cavs then fired Bickerstaff in May 2024 and hired Atkinson the following month. Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 18, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cavaliers' Kenny Atkinson joins Browns' Kevin Stefanski and Guardians' Stephen Vogt as coaches or managers of the year in Cleveland pro sports Atkinson, 57, had one previous head coaching job in the NBA. He went 118-190 in three-plus regular seasons (2016-20) in charge of the Brooklyn Nets. Before joining the Cavs, Atkinson spent the previous three seasons as a Warriors assistant under Kerr. Atkinson captured an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2022. Advertisement Atkinson winning Coach of the Year continues a trend in Cleveland professional sports. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has won two Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year awards. He received the honor for the 2020 season as a first-year head coach and again for the 2023 season. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was named the Baseball Writers' Association of America's 2024 AL Manager of the Year after his first season as an MLB manager. Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@ On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kenny Atkinson wins NBA Coach of the Year with Cavs' 64-win season
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cavs disappoint, underachieve in NBA playoffs and must adapt, evolve in offseason
CLEVELAND — Emotions were understandably raw after the 2024-25 Cavaliers season ended, and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell wore them on the sleeve of his hoodie. 'Y'all gonna write us the [expletive] off, man,' Mitchell told reporters to end his postgame news conference. 'But we'll be back. We let the city down. Let each other down. We'll be back. Thank you.' Advertisement Then Mitchell struck the door of the media room on his way out. It's appropriate for him to be frustrated, upset and angry because the Cavs were not expected to be knocked out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second consecutive season. He gave it everything he had but became stuck in a familiar spot. As the East's No. 1 seed, the conference finals were supposed to be the floor for the Cavs. Instead, they were worn down physically and mentally by the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers and suffered a season-ending 114-105 loss in Game 5 on Tuesday, May 13, at Rocket Arena. It was a must-win scenario for the Cavs, and failing to defend their home court against the Pacers for the third time this postseason culminated in a 4-1 defeat in the best-of-seven, second-round playoff series. The Cavs were banged up in the series, but the elite transition offense, full-court defensive pressure and physicality of the Pacers were much more significant factors in the outcome. Advertisement Cavs playoffs: Cavaliers Game 5 recap, highlights as Cleveland's season ends vs. Indiana Pacers Some other harsh truths are … The Cavs fired coach J.B. Bickerstaff and replaced him with Kenny Atkinson last offseason, only to finish this season in the exact same place as last — Game 5 of Round 2. The Cavs fell 4-1 to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals a year ago while Bickerstaff's team also dealt with injuries. Mitchell signed a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension with the Cavs in July, essentially betting the franchise had everything in place to help him advance beyond the second round for the first time. Mitchell has been to the playoffs in all eight of his NBA seasons. The wait continues for him to get out of Round 2. After going 64-18, the Cavs became just the fourth team in NBA history to win at least 64 games in the regular season and not advance past the second round of the playoffs, according to ESPN. With the Celtics on the ropes as they face a 3-1 series deficit against the New York Knicks, the East is wide open, but the Cavs didn't earn the right to have a crack at capitalizing. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson argues a first-half call with referee James Capers in Game 5 against the Pacers in the second round of the NBA playoffs, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers changed coaches and ended up in the same place. They must make roster changes after playoff run ended sooner than expected This offseason, the Cavs can't afford to stand pat. President of basketball operations Koby Altman chose roster continuity last summer and thereby banked on a coaching change elevating the Cavs. Despite their offensive improvement in the regular season and Atkinson winning NBA Coach of the Year, a deeper playoff run didn't materialize. Altman took a swing at the Feb. 6 trade deadline by acquiring De'Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Caris LeVert, forward Georges Niang, three second-round draft choices and two pick swaps. Advertisement In 2025, Altman must continue to take shots at altering player personnel because the Cavs need something different to get over the second-round hump. The playoffs have exposed their flaws two years in a row with two different quality coaches at the helm. Bickerstaff, now with the Detroit Pistons, finished runner-up to Atkinson in NBA Coach of the Year voting. Darius Garland (facing) hugs Donovan Mitchell after the Cavaliers' season-ending Game 5 loss in the second round of the NBA playoffs, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland. Will the Cavs keep the core four intact after falling to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals? The core four of Mitchell, All-Star forward Evan Mobley, All-Star point guard Darius Garland and center Jarrett Allen led the Cavs to a 16-win improvement in the regular season compared with their 48-34 finish in 2023-24. The Cavs also ranked first in offensive rating (121) and eighth in defensive rating (111.8) in the 2024-25 regular season a year after they were 16th in offensive rating (114.7) and seventh in defensive rating (112.1). Advertisement Yet, the NBA playoffs and regular season are vastly different, and not all parts of Cleveland's nucleus are ready to take the next step when it matters most. Mitchell said he'll go to bat for all of his Cavs teammates, and his support is among the reasons he's a great leader. What became abundantly clear, though, is Mitchell needed more help from the rest of the Cavs than they gave him against the Pacers. Cavs season ends: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Game 5 instant reaction in NBA playoffs A season in which Mitchell focused on empowering Mobley, Garland and other teammates to promote their development wrapped up with the Cavs reliant on Mitchell to a fault, even as he pushed through calf and ankle injuries. He scored a game-high 35 points in his final outing of the season after entering the day listed as questionable to play with a left ankle sprain. Advertisement 'We have a window with this group,' Mitchell said. 'I believe in everybody in here. We believe in each other. That's what sucks, man. It's just we're a good team. And for five, four games, three games, we didn't show, you know, what we're capable of. And ultimately, that's what we're judged on.' Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hugs Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley after Game 5 in the second round of the NBA playoffs, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland. The futures of Mitchell and Mobley are not in doubt. Whether Altman will decide Garland and Allen should both stay is a question at the forefront again. And even if Altman keeps the core four intact, he shouldn't run it back with virtually the same roster for the second season in a row. The supporting cast ought to be modified. Advertisement Atkinson explained the Cavs needed to be mentally stronger and better equipped physically for the high-intensity pace of Indiana, which advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive season. The Cavs will lean on Atkinson's background in player development to aid the mission, but it alone won't be enough. Players who fit the profile are required to avoid more of the same. 'I do feel like we got better and from a team aspect, and then we had a lot of individuals make a step,' Atkinson said. 'So I just want to make that clear. But the truth of the matter is we didn't get to the level we wanted to get to. So we're not pleased with that, and we're not celebrating the season.' The Cavs disappointed and underachieved. Now they must adapt and evolve. Advertisement Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@ On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs roster needs change to get over hump in NBA playoffs
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
All-Defensive 1st team: Evan Mobley, Draymond Green, Dyson Daniels, Luguentz Dort and Amen Thompson
Cleveland's Evan Mobley, the defensive player of the year this season, was also the top vote-getter for the NBA's All-Defensive team that was revealed on Thursday. Mobley got 99 first-team votes from a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the NBA and cast ballots to determine award winners. He was a second-team pick on the lone other ballot. Atlanta's Dyson Daniels, Oklahoma City's Luguentz Dort, Golden State's Draymond Green and Houston's Amen Thompson rounded out the first team. Daniels joined Mobley as the only players to appear on all 100 ballots; Daniels got 91 first-team nods and nine second-team votes. Dort appeared on 99 ballots, Green — now a five-time first-team selection and a nine-time All-Defensive pick overall — appeared on 98 ballots and Thompson was on 97 ballots. The second team was Portland's Toumani Camara, Minnesota's Rudy Gobert, Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr., Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams and the Los Angeles Clippers' Ivica Zubac. Gobert is now an eight-time All-Defensive team selection. Ballots were cast shortly before the start of the playoffs. The final awards to be handed out by the league to recognize excellence in this regular season will come Friday, when the All-NBA teams are unveiled. The other awards that were part of that voting process and have already been unveiled: Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning MVP, Cleveland's Kenny Atkinson winning coach of the year, Atlanta's Dyson Daniels winning most improved player, San Antonio's Stephon Castle winning rookie of the year, Cleveland's Evan Mobley winning defensive player of the year, New York's Jalen Brunson winning clutch player of the year and Boston's Payton Pritchard winning sixth man of the year. Other awards announced by the league since the end of the regular season: Golden State's Stephen Curry won the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award, Warriors teammate Draymond Green won the hustle award, Oklahoma City's Sam Presti won executive of the year and Boston's Jrue Holiday won the sportsmanship award for the second time in his career as well as the league's social justice award. ___ AP NBA:
