Kenny Atkinson may not be in any real danger in Cleveland, but the Cavaliers are already running into the kind of questions that tend to linger if they don’t get cleaned up fast.
At 4-3 seven games into the season, it would be premature to talk about a hot seat. But the issues popping up around the Cavs are hard to ignore.
Zach Weiss of Cavs On SI pointed to Atkinson’s rotations, his closing lineups, and the disconnect between spotting problems and actually fixing them. One sequence that drew attention came late in Monday’s loss to the Thunder, when Weiss questioned the four-guard look with Jarrett Allen and Mario Hezonja on the bench despite productive stretches.
Atkinson said after the game that he used some lineups he wasn’t thrilled with. That’s part of November, when coaches test combinations and figure out what sticks. The challenge is making sure those experiments lead somewhere useful.
The bigger problem is the stuff that keeps resurfacing. Cleveland missed 10 free throws and gave up 15 offensive rebounds in a five-point loss.
That’s not all on the coach - players still have to knock down free throws and finish possessions - but Atkinson is the one responsible for getting the group to do those things consistently. It doesn’t mean his job is suddenly in jeopardy.
It does mean Weiss’ criticism has some weight, especially if the same conversation is still happening a couple months from now.
Toronto, meanwhile, has built a 4-3 start in a way that doesn’t look especially sustainable unless the shooting improves. The Raptors are finding offense without making many outside shots, which is impressive in its own way, but it also puts a lot on their defense and offensive rebounding to keep the whole thing afloat.
As Ethen Hutton of Raptors On SI noted, Toronto is forcing a league-leading 20.9 turnovers per game and also leads the NBA in offensive rebounds. Those extra chances have helped cover for a rough 31.5% mark from three-point range.
Scottie Barnes has taken on more with Kawhi Leonard sidelined and is averaging 24.4 points. RJ Barrett has also given them steady scoring help.
Still, there’s only so much the possession battle can mask. If opponents take care of the ball and keep the Raptors off the glass, Toronto needs another dependable way to score.
Better perimeter shooting would make Barnes’ life a lot easier.
Phoenix is dealing with a different kind of late-game problem. The Suns built a 17-point lead against the Warriors and still walked away with their third straight loss after coughing it up in the fourth quarter. Seven turnovers in the final period made sure of that.
“We have some spots,” Devin Booker said, via The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin, as relayed by Brendan Mau of Suns On SI. “We’ve been saying it the past few games, we just have to put 48 minutes together.”
At 1-4, the Suns also need more production from their centers while Mark Williams is out. Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro Charles Bassey combined for 19 points and eight boards.
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Dillon Brooks Just Reignited A Frustrating Suns Debate
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For the Suns, it is the kind of episode that keeps a familiar debate alive around Brooks: where the line sits between his physical edge and the way officials react when he is involved. He will not be suspended and is expected to be available against the Golden State Warriors, but the larger question lingers around how much his style continues to invite scrutiny every time he steps into a high-stakes game. [Read more 🡒]
Draymond Green Added Another Ugly Twist To Suns Warriors Rivalry
The Warriors-Suns rivalry picked up another nasty edge on Tuesday night, and Draymond Green was right in the middle of it. Early in the third quarter, Green got tangled up in a physical sequence that spilled into a confrontation with Dillon Brooks, turning a tense game into one of those moments that instantly feels bigger than the box score.
Green was assessed a double technical foul and ejected after dragging teammate Khaman Maluach to the floor, a sequence that only added to the bad blood between two teams that rarely need much help finding it. Golden State still held on for a 116-113 win, stretching its streak to five, but the lasting image for Suns fans was the latest ugly twist in a matchup that keeps finding new ways to boil over. [Read more 🡒]