Cavs Know Rebounding Must Improve vs. Heat, And Kenny Atkinson Isn’t Hiding From It

The Cavaliers got the win in Game 1. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news? They know they’ve still got some issues to clean up — and fast.

“We’ve got to be a better defensive rebounding team,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We’re searching. We’re pushing.”

Translation: Yes, Cleveland out-rebounded Miami 42-37. But it wasn’t nearly as clean as it looked on paper. And if the Cavs don’t start boxing out better, they’re going to find themselves in a dogfight they shouldn’t be in.

“We’re still too tilted on the offensive end,” Atkinson said. “We’ve got to figure out the defensive rebounding piece because against this team, that’ll knock you out.”

He’s right. The Heat aren’t huge, but they’ve got guys who crash the glass — Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Haywood Highsmith, rookie Kel’el Ware. And Bam? He’s a different kind of man.

“Bam is an Olympic champ; we all know his resume,” Atkinson said. “He’s a heck of a player, and it’s a heck of a challenge for (Evan Mobley) and (Jarrett Allen). So, that’s part of it.”

Allen did his part with 11 boards in Game 1. Mobley grabbed seven, five in the second half. But after that? Donovan Mitchell with five, and then crickets. That’s not going to cut it in April, May, and June if you can get there.

Atkinson knows it. The players know it. They’ll get Game 2 on Wednesday at Rocket Arena to go out and do something about it (7:30 p.m., EST, NBA TV).

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