An anonymous NBA scout is not sold on the Cavaliers’ playoff ceiling - and the doubts start with Kenny Atkinson.
In Sports Illustrated’s Friday Cavaliers preview, the scout pointed to Cleveland’s playoff issues against the Knicks and questioned whether Atkinson has shown enough in the postseason to guide a title run. The same conversation also turned to James Harden, with the scout wondering how much longer the 37-year-old can fit into Cleveland’s championship picture.
“I expected Cleveland to get where they got [last year]," the scout said. "I knew they would probably learn from the year before, and they did.
I think the questions with them start with Kenny Atkinson. Is he a good enough coach?
I didn't like how he schemed in the playoffs. They didn't have any answers for the Knicks.
Now James Harden is older and I don't know how their pieces are going to match."
New York’s dominance last spring is part of the backdrop here. The Knicks swept Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals, wrapping up the series with a 130-93 win in Game 4 on May 25 at Rocket Arena.
Jalen Brunson averaged 25.5 points and took home Eastern Conference finals MVP honors, while Karl-Anthony Towns finished the clincher with 19 points and 14 rebounds. The Knicks emptied the bench with 7:47 left and a 35-point cushion.
That run carried New York to its first Finals appearance since 1999, and the Knicks went on to beat the San Antonio Spurs for the championship.
Atkinson’s résumé is not short on accomplishments, though the playoff conversation is where the pressure lands. In his first season in Cleveland, he guided the Cavaliers to a 15-0 start and a 64-18 record, good for the No. 1 seed in the East. The 64 wins were the second-most in franchise history, trailing only the 66-win 2008-09 team.
Cleveland swept Miami in the opening round, and on May 5 Atkinson was named 2025 NBA Coach of the Year with 59 first-place votes. But the postseason ended with Indiana eliminating the Cavaliers in the second round.
Last year’s team finished 52-30 and entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed. Cleveland went 8-10 in the postseason, with both of its series wins going the distance - first against Toronto, then against top-seeded Detroit. The Cavaliers closed out the Pistons with a 125-94 Game 7 win on the road.
Atkinson’s coaching path also includes a stint with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020, plus a role on Golden State’s 2022 championship staff.
Harden’s arrival added another layer to Cleveland’s future questions. He joined the Cavaliers from the LA Clippers on Feb. 3, with Darius Garland and a second-round pick going the other way. At the time of the move, Cleveland was 30-21, and Harden had been putting up 25.4 points and 8.1 assists per game for the Clippers.
His playoff numbers, however, are what the scout seized on. In 18 postseason games, Harden averaged 19.7 points and turned the ball over 4.7 times per game, including at least five turnovers in 10 of those contests.
Harden declined a $42.3 million player option for 2026-27 in June, then agreed Aug. 20 to a three-year, $97 million contract. Cleveland made that deal official Sept. 8, and it includes a trade kicker.
Now in his 18th NBA season, Harden remains an 11-time All-Star and the 2018 MVP, with career averages of 24.0 points, 7.3 assists and 5.6 rebounds. His contract also includes a player option for 2028-29.
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