While the Cleveland Cavaliers have checked some important boxes this offseason, their roster going into the 2024-25 campaign is likely going to look very similar to last season’s.
That’s going to give new head coach Kenny Atkinson an important task right out of the gate: to get more juice out of a talented core that has won just one playoff series in two seasons together.
The Cavs seemingly believe they have the right head coach for the task.
“For now, the Cavs are determined to make the [Jarrett] Allen and [Evan] Mobley combination work,” wrote Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto. “That’s part of the reason Kenny Atkinson was hired to replace head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
“Atkinson was able to sell the Cavs on some ideas to squeeze more out of the current roster. He coached Allen early in the center’s career when both were with Brooklyn.
“Atkinson has plans to add some octane to Mobley’s scoring. It’s not simply adding more 3-point shot attempts. Yes, that’s part of it. The goal is to increase Mobley shots, period. Atkinson wants Mobley as a key part of the Cavs fast break and other up-tempo offenses.”
The Cavs are said to be “especially eager” for Atkinson to impact Mobley’s development. Atkinson has earned a reputation for his player development, and there’s perhaps no better time for him to work with Mobley than now, with the 23-year-old just a few years into his NBA career.
A leap from Mobley would possibly be the easiest way for the Cavs to take a major step forward, as he likely has more room for growth than the other members of Cleveland’s core. The upcoming season will be just his fourth in the league.
Last season, Mobley averaged 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 58.0 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc. He remained one of the league’s best defenders but didn’t earn any major accolades after appearing in only 50 regular-season games.
But in addition to Mobley, Atkinson will certainly look to squeeze as much as he can out of players like Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Allen.
There are two high-profile duos that Atkinson will need to try to maximize in terms of output: the Garland-Mitchell duo in the backcourt and the Mobley-Allen duo in the frontcourt. Those two duos have earned their fair share of skeptics in terms of fit, which are concerns that Atkinson would certainly love to put to rest.
Maximizing any roster is easier said than done, but Cleveland’s new head coach is going to get a stab at it.
