Kenny Atkinson earning 'doctorate in basketball' makes him logical fit for Cavs | Ulrich

INDEPENDENCE — Kenny Atkinson chose his second bite at the NBA head coaching apple with careful consideration and after acquiring invaluable lessons in the past several seasons.

Those are among the reasons to believe Atkinson and the Cavaliers are a good fit.

Whether Atkinson proves to be an upgrade over J.B. Bickerstaff is the multimillion dollar question to which no one can truly know the answer right now.

Atkinson's background , though, suggests he won't choke on this Cleveland-flavored chunk of apple.

Starting with chairman Dan Gilbert and president of basketball operations Koby Altman , Cavs brass is betting Atkinson, 57, will elevate the franchise into legitimate championship contention on the heels of back-to-back playoff appearances with Bickerstaff, whom the Detroit Pistons hired as their head coach Sunday about a month after Cleveland fired him.

The NBA offseason is in its infancy, so surprising developments could still emerge.

Yet, Atkinson joined Altman on Monday during the coach's introductory news conference in publicly pushing this plan: Cleveland will preserve its “core four” of guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland and big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen coming off a 4-3 victory over the Orlando Magic in Round 1 and a 4-1 loss to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"You’ve got four All-Stars, and we’ve got to make it work," Atkinson said. "That's part of the reason I'm here."

There will be tweaks to the supporting cast, but barring a trade offer Altman can't refuse for Garland or Allen, Atkinson is likely to be Cleveland's most significant addition when the dust from this offseason settles.

Atkinson's previous head coaching experience with the Brooklyn Nets makes him a safer gamble than someone who has never been at the helm of an organization. An imperfect storm of an ownership change and the arrivals of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving resulted in a divorce between Atkinson and the Nets in 2020.

After three-plus seasons with the Nets (2016-20), Atkinson conceded he took a strategic approach to his career. He sought specific gigs and landed under two championship-winning head coaches, Ty Lue with the Los Angeles Clippers (2020-21) and Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors (2021-24). The Clippers advanced to the Western Conference Finals in Atkinson's lone season with them. The Warriors won the NBA title in Atkinson's first season with them.

“It's like getting your doctorate in basketball where maybe I was just an undergraduate,” Atkinson said.

Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson gained insight from the Los Angeles Clippers' Ty Lue and the Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr

Lue and Kerr had different philosophies and methods than Atkinson. Viewing coaching through different lenses opened Atkinson's eyes and turned him into a more complete teacher of the game.

It's why Atkinson insisted, “oh, man, I've changed,” when he was asked which lessons from his Nets tenure can be applied to the Cavs.

“Using my experience with [the Clippers and Warriors] can make me a better coach, and I sold that to Koby,” Atkinson added. “I said, 'I look back on Brooklyn like, man, there's so many things I could do better.' And then I saw it live. I was kind of in the bus, like, 'Look, how does Steve do it? How does Ty do it?' I think it's really going to help me.

“The league is changing, and can you get ahead of the league? What's happening? How quickly is it happening? How are we shifting? And I think me and my staff, that'll be a strength of ours. We'll be able to be right with the league or be a step ahead.”

In recent years, Atkinson has had several chances to jump back into the head coaching club. He accepted the Charlotte Hornets job in 2022 before changing his mind and staying with the Warriors.

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At least on paper, being selective paid off because Atkinson has inherited a talented roster in Cleveland with what he characterized as an appealing culture. He recently went out of his way to answer Altman's phone call while coaching a French National Team practice in Paris. No more rebuilds to oversee. The job offer he had pursued awaited.

“I'm just extremely lucky that kind of the time and place of all this happening,” Atkinson said. “I know what a great opportunity it is.”

Atkinson said he anticipates the Cavs “picking up the pace, shooting more 3s, crashing the glass a little more” under his guidance. But he also pointed out his first order of business is to establish relationships with players and become more familiar with them.

Atkinson coached center Allen and sixth man Caris LeVert in Brooklyn. Atkinson said he has already spoken to point guard Garland several times.

Cleveland Cavaliers' optimism about Donovan Mitchell agreeing to a contract extension with them this offseason proved to be warranted

Atkinson and Altman visited five-time All-Star Mitchell this past weekend in Los Angeles, where Mitchell hosted some of the nation's top young guards during his “Spida Elite Camp.” When Altman left the encounter, he maintained his confidence about reaching a contract extension with Mitchell this summer.

The optimism was warranted because Mitchell agreed to an extension for three years and $150.3 million, a league source confirmed Tuesday for the Beacon Journal. The deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.

Altman said people in NBA circles told him Atkinson is “the best player development coach you can possibly find.” Atkinson listed the following as keys to connecting with players: “Transparency, honesty, and then what's behind that is love and care.”

Coaching stars, such as Mitchell, requires a different touch, and Atkinson saw Lue and Kerr master it. Atkinson explained more one-on-one conversations are needed along with a willingness to listen and implement some ideas.

“I think you're partnering with your best players,” Atkinson said.

The partnership between the Cavs and Atkinson makes sense from the perspective of each side, especially because the coach is now armed with the knowledge and wisdom he gained in his post-Nets chapters.

Cavs introduce Kenny Atkinson: What the new Cleveland Cavaliers head coach said

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kenny Atkinson earning 'doctorate in basketball' makes him logical fit for Cavs | Ulrich