Kenny Atkinson unveils 3 areas he’s looking for Cavs to strengthen this season

The Cleveland Cavaliers are entering a fresh era under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, who will have a lot of talent to work with as he tries to get the team to the next level.

If the Cavs retain their core four without making any other major additions, it stands to reason that they’ll need to rely on internal growth and tweaks in order to take a step forward in the new campaign.

Atkinson has a few things in mind that he thinks could look a little different for the Cavs this coming season.

Cleveland has been linked to some notable players this offseason, including Brandon Ingram and Cameron Johnson, but it’s unclear how convinced the Cavs are that they need to make any roster additions of that magnitude.

The organization has checked some major boxes this offseason in other ways, hiring Atkinson and coming to terms on a new deal with star guard Donovan Mitchell. Now, the Cavs can turn their attention to some of their other summer priorities.

Atkinson will be tasked with helping the team raise its ceiling in the NBA title race. This past season, the Cavs won a playoff series and reached the second round for the first time since 2018, but there was seemingly an understanding among NBA fans that Cleveland had a ceiling that was short of winning (or even reaching) the NBA Finals.

Perhaps some of Atkinson’s methods will help change that. Regarding his comments on pace, rebounding and 3-point attempts, the Cavs do have some room for change.

In the 2023-24 regular season, they ranked 24th in the NBA in pace and 17th in rebounds per game. They did rank eighth in 3-point attempts per game, a relatively high place to be, but it appears Atkinson is open to taking even more shots from deep.

Former Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff did a nice job of leading the Cavs out of the league’s abyss and onto solid land. Now, it’ll be on Atkinson to take the team from solid land to the top of the NBA mountain.