Bill Simmons asked this question on his podcast last week: Which Eastern Conference team has the best young core you'd want to build around for the next 5 years? He picked the Pacers. Everyone else picked the Cleveland Cavaliers. Who is right & who is wrong? When the Cavs brought Kenny Atkinson on board last June as the next head coach, he was juggling international obligations with the French National Team and the challenge of connecting with his new roster on the fly. Atkinson made it work, helping Cleveland earn the second-most win in franchise history. But something didn’t translate to the playoffs, as the Cavs were bounced from the Eastern Conference semifinals in five games for the second straight year. Now, for the first time, Atkinson gets a real summer. No jet-setting between continents. Just months of uninterrupted time to dig in, build continuity, and correct the mistakes that cost Cleveland a shot at the conference finals. And Atkinson has already turned the film room into his second home. “I came in today to get ready for this and Kenny’s already working out and he’s got all these ideas,” president of basketball operations Koby Altman said during his end-of-season press conference on May 19. “... a big reason why we hired Kenny Atkinson was for the offseason program, we’re going to be still rooted in player development. I think you’ll see a lot of players get better.” Watching is only the start. This summer is about action. Here are five specific areas where the Cavs can level up, even without major roster moves: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related