Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson’s admission after being dropped by Pacers in playoffs makes you wonder what’s next for Cleveland
The Cleveland Cavaliers have now endured two straight seasons ending with exits in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Cleveland fell to the Indiana Pacers, 4–1, in what was considered an upset loss for the Cavs. As the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, this was a gut punch for a team that […]
The Cleveland Cavaliers have now endured two straight seasons ending with exits in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Cleveland fell to the Indiana Pacers, 4–1, in what was considered an upset loss for the Cavs. As the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, this was a gut punch for a team that had won 64 games in the regular season.
After the Game 5 loss in Cleveland, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged that his team simply wasn’t ready.
Kenny Atkinson admits the Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t mentally tough enough against the Indiana Pacers
“The mental part—we’ve gotta get over that,” Atkinson said on Tuesday night. “I just felt like we’ve got another jump to make with our mental strength.”
Injuries certainly played a role in the series, but the Cavs still lost all three home games to Indiana—something that simply can’t happen for a No. 1 seed. Cleveland will surely look back and wish starters Evan Mobley and Darius Garland had been healthy for the full series, but there were other issues as well.
The Cavaliers have been unable to break through and reach the Eastern Conference Finals without LeBron James. Donovan Mitchell is the star now and put up big numbers in the series, but it wasn’t enough. Losing in five games as the No. 1 seed in the second round is a bad look for a team that had hopes of competing for it all.
Now, the Cavs head into an offseason with work to do. Getting bounced by the New York Knicks and the Pacers in back-to-back years should not be acceptable for a franchise that has high expectations.
