Report: Doubts Emerge Over Kenny Atkinson’s Capacity to Push Cavaliers to Elite Status
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Kenny Atkinson is only months removed from being voted NBA Coach of the Year, yet league chatter indicates his grip on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ bench is under fresh scrutiny.
The Cavaliers entered the season billed as a top-two threat in the Eastern Conference. As of this week, however, the club is hovering near ninth place, prompting renewed speculation about potential moves both on the trade market and, eventually, on the coaching staff.
“Kenny does a great job of building up a young team into a winning program. Does it stop there, though? He hasn’t shown he can take a contender over the top,” an anonymous league source told Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
Afseth added that, should Cleveland part ways with Atkinson at any point, star guard Donovan Mitchell would favor assistant coach Johnnie Bryant as an interim replacement, according to sources.
For now, the Cavaliers are standing by their head coach. Team officials believe a healthier roster and more than 50 games remaining on the schedule give Atkinson ample time to realign the season. A short winning streak, insiders say, could quickly silence the rumors.
Cleveland continues to monitor the trade market but maintains that Atkinson’s job is not immediately at risk despite the chatter circulating around the league.
Source: Hoops Wire
