Kendrick Perkins questions Kenny Atkinson’s future, but Cavs aren’t there yet

Kendrick Perkins has weighed in on Kenny Atkinson’s job security. His outlook isn’t particularly encouraging. But that doesn’t mean it reflects where the Cavs stand.

Following Monday’s ugly loss to the Hornets, the ESPN analyst posted on X that Atkinson might not last beyond the trade deadline.

“Kenny Atkinson may not make it [past] the trade deadline!!!” Perkins wrote.

There’s a segment of the Cavs’ fanbase that would welcome that outcome. At 5-6, coming off a performance in which they trailed a shorthanded Charlotte team by 33 points, the Cavs haven’t given those fans much reason to be patient.

Still, the sense here is that Atkinson isn’t currently in danger of losing his job. Perkins offered a prediction. He didn’t indicate that the Cavs are considering a coaching change.

That doesn’t give Atkinson a pass. The Cavs’ rebounding problems, defensive breakdowns and uneven effort have become familiar enough that identifying them after losses no longer accomplishes much. Getting them corrected is part of the job.

So is finding combinations that get more from James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. This team was built to contend, and too often it has struggled with the basics.

But Atkinson also won Coach of the Year in his first season with the Cavs and reached the Eastern Conference finals in his second. Eleven games into his third, there’s considerably more to evaluate than one awful night or an analyst’s reaction to it.

As we’ve covered, the Cavs have options to explore before considering bigger changes. Adjusting roles and rotations would be a reasonable place to start.

They visit the Knicks on Wednesday with plenty to clean up. Atkinson should be expected to produce a better response from his team.

Expecting better, though, isn’t the same as preparing to fire the coach.

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