The Cleveland Cavaliers have been taking their time with their head-coaching search, and although a decision has seemed close at times, the team remains without a new skipper after firing J.B. Bickerstaff.
The Cavs have been heavily linked to James Borrego and Kenny Atkinson. Other names have also been in contention, but the race has seemingly featured those two candidates most prominently.
It’s anyone’s guess where the coaching search will ultimately land, but there may be a legendary basketball figure influencing the situation: Tom Izzo of Michigan State University.
“[New Orleans] Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego, who was also a finalist for the [Los Angeles] Lakers’ post, had been increasing billed this month as gaining traction to be hired by the Cavaliers,” wrote NBA insider Marc Stein. “Yet as I tweeted Friday night, I’ve heard from multiple league insiders that [Golden State] Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson is gaining steam in the race for Cleveland’s job that has confounded many in coaching circles.
“Minnesota’s Micah Nori has also been in contention for the Cavaliers’ post and is likewise said to have impressed in the interview process.
“Potentially boosting Atkinson’s chances: Legendary Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is said to be an Atkinson fan. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, of course, is a well-known Izzo fan who graduated from Michigan State and is said to have resumed significant involvement in team affairs compared to recent years.
“It’s believed that the Cavaliers are closing in on their ultimate choice, while Detroit’s sudden search to replace Monty Williams seems likely to stretch into July.”
Atkinson has spent his recent years as an assistant coach with the Warriors, where he won an NBA title in 2022 when Golden State defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
His NBA coaching journey has also featured a handful of other stops with him being an assistant, but he does have head-coaching experience as well. He spent roughly four seasons as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets in a stint that ended during the 2019-20 campaign.
Atkinson put together one winning season during that stretch (a 42-40 mark during the 2018-19 campaign) and received some consideration for Coach of the Year honors thanks to Brooklyn’s solid showing that season.
The fact that Izzo appears to be on the Atkinson train certainly can’t hurt the 57-year-old’s chances. But that doesn’t mean the coaching search is over, and Atkinson may still have some work to do before he can start to make plans for Cleveland’s 2024-25 season.
Whoever the Cavs hire, the new skipper will be tasked will filling the shoes of a head coach (Bickerstaff) who helped Cleveland make some major progress in recent years.
In Bickerstaff’s first full season with the Cavs, they went just 22-50 and came nowhere close to earning a playoff bid. By the last season of his tenure, Cleveland was able to win a playoff series for the first time since 2018, when hometown hero LeBron James was still around.
Bickerstaff’s stint certainly wasn’t perfect — as evidenced by the Cavs’ decision to move on from him — but he did some good things with the franchise, and his replacement will look to keep Cleveland headed in the right direction.
