Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson: This time of year less about strategy, more about conserving energy

March 27, 2025

CLEVELAND — Without a doubt, the Cavaliers’ recent trip out West fits into the category of “brutal.”

Five games. Ten days. Four opponents fighting for playoff positioning.

“In those first four days out West, it felt like we were in the air for three of them,” coach Kenny Atkinson said.

The Cavs lost the first three, falling at the Clippers, Kings and Suns, before rebounding for road wins over the Jazz and Trail Blazers.

Now, they’re back home — for one night, facing the Spurs on Thursday. Then it’s right back on the plane for a visit to the Pistons and former coach J.B. Bickerstaff. That used to be everyone’s homecoming game. Not these days.

Anyway, as for the final nine or 10 regular-season games, Atkinson intends to prescribe rest the best he can.

“It sounds corny; it sounds like I’m their dad,” Atkinson said on the idea of telling the players to take a load off. “But it’s what you have to do in a stretch like this. … At this time of year, it’s less about strategy and scouting and more about conserving energy.”

Granted, most NBA teams have really tough and perhaps unfair stretches of the season. The Cavaliers’ such stretch just happened to come a month before the playoffs.

As of this writing, they are 4.5 games ahead of the reigning champion Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. At 58-14, the Cavs would have to finish 8-2 to tie the best mark in franchise history (2008-09). For the record, breaking or equaling that mark doesn’t appear to be the goal.

“Stay healthy,” Atkinson said of what he’d like from these final 10 games. “We pretty know who we are and how we’re gonna play.”

Jerome OK: Atkinson said Ty Jerome (knee) is fine and doesn’t anticipate that his injury is anything long-term. “I anticipate that he’ll be back soon,” Atkinson said.
Tristan on TV?: Atkinson has praised Tristan Thompson for his help on the bench, which led to the question of whether Atkinson thinks Thompson will get into coaching once his playing days are done. “He’s too smart to get into coaching,” Atkinson said. “He could front-office (work) for sure. Not just here with the Cavs, but anywhere around the league. He could also take your job if he wants — he could do the media thing.”