At instances, Kenny Atkinson was in a position to expertise satisfying moments teaching the Brooklyn Nets, notably the stunning 2018-19 staff that gained 42 video games and made the playoffs.
Over 4 years after his remaining sport with the Nets, Atkinson is again on the sidelines operating the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his second probability as a head coach is off to an ideal starting.
Atkinson and the Cavaliers will try to make it 11 straight wins to begin the season Saturday evening once they host the Brooklyn Nets.
Atkinson took over the Nets as they started a rebuild in 2016 and lasted till March 7, 2020. After his time with the Nets, he spent one season as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers and three seasons helping Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors.
Employed on June 28, after Cleveland misplaced a five-game Jap Convention semifinal to the Boston Celtics, Atkinson is 10-0 along with his new staff, which incorporates former Nets Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert.
Six of Cleveland’s wins are by double-digits, and the Cavaliers have scored not less than 130 factors in 5 video games, together with Friday’s 136-117 dismantling of the visiting Warriors. The Cavaliers scored 83 factors within the first half and shot 54.1 p.c from the sector — the eighth time in 10 video games they’ve shot not less than 50 p.c.
“10-0 is one thing. It is sort of a magic quantity, proper?” Atkinson mentioned. “I used to be anxious about tonight as a result of the Warriors are champions. That stunned me, how prepared we had been, how hungry we had been. 10-0 is de facto one thing for our staff.”
Their newest win occurred whereas Donovan Mitchell completed with a season-low 12 factors. Darius Garland led the Cavs with 27, Evan Mobley added 23, and Ty Jerome had 20 because the Cavaliers positioned six scorers in double figures.
The Nets are on their fourth coach since Atkinson’s tenure and are off to a decent begin (4-5) in coach Jordi Fernandez’s first 9 video games. The Nets missed an opportunity to go over .500 once they took a 108-104 time beyond regulation loss at Boston on Friday.
Brooklyn scored the sport’s first 12 factors and held a two-point halftime lead however was doomed by capturing 5-for-24 (20.8 p.c) within the fourth.
Cam Thomas led the Nets with 31 factors. Dennis Schroder added 20 and Cameron Johnson completed with 18, however Brooklyn shot a season-low 41 p.c and made solely 10-of-38 3-point tries.
“I am not likely a fan of ethical victories as a result of I really feel like the sport was winnable for us. We led many of the sport,” Thomas mentioned after his fourth 30-point sport this season. “They only had a number of good possessions on the finish, big-time photographs. However on the finish of the day, I really feel like the sport was winnable. It wasn’t like we had been outmatched from begin to end.”
The Nets used Ben Simmons off the bench for the primary time this season, however he’ll doubtless sit out in Cleveland for the reason that staff has been holding him out of each ends of a back-to-back following again surgical procedure in March.
–Subject Stage Media