The Cleveland Cavaliers have been unstoppable to start the 2024-25 NBA season, and as a result, the organization has to be thrilled with the early returns of its head-coaching change.
The Cavs parted ways with previous head coach J.B. Bickerstaff after they were eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs and later hired Kenny Atkinson to take over. Atkinson now has the team at 12-0, forcing the league to take notice.
However, at least one NBA legend doesn’t think Atkinson deserves much credit for Cleveland’s perfect start. Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is skeptical of the skipper’s impact.
“He ain’t doin’ nothin’,” O’Neal said of Atkinson. “Donovan Mitchell is playin’.”
Co-host Charles Barkley then called O’Neal a “dummy” who doesn’t believe in coaching, and O’Neal gladly admitted that he doesn’t, in fact, believe in coaching.
But O’Neal is almost certainly in the minority on this one, and Atkinson likely doesn’t care who gets the credit as long as his squad keeps winning.
O’Neal’s suggestion that Mitchell deserves the credit for Cleveland’s hot start is an interesting one, especially since the guard has been asked to do less this season compared to previous years. He’s currently averaging fewer minutes and fewer shots per game than he did last season, and as a result, his scoring is also down.
- Mitchell last season: 35.3 minutes per game, 19.8 field-goal attempts per game, 26.6 points per game
- Mitchell this season: 30.7 minutes per game, 18.0 field-goal attempts per game, 23.7 points per game
But that certainly isn’t a knock on Mitchell, who is enjoying one of the most efficient seasons of his career and playing winning basketball. Rather, the season he’s having may be an indication that Atkinson has found ways to build a more balanced offensive attack, allowing the team to avoid being overly dependent on Mitchell.
The Cavs currently lead the league in points per game as a team at 122.4. Players like Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are having impressive offensive seasons, and those are developments that Atkinson may deserve credit for as well.
Whether O’Neal believes in the concept of coaching or not, Atkinson is looking like a major threat to win the Coach of the Year award, something that would speak for itself.
