New Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has already spoken to star guard Donovan Mitchell and believes the two are off to a good start.
A native of Long Island, Atkinson said he got to relate to the all-star on a more personal level.
鈥淚 had a great sit down [with Mitchell]. We have a little bit of the East Coast, similar backgrounds," he said, during an introductory press conference Monday. "We didn't grow up far from each other, really. We talked about more personal stuff [like] family.鈥�
Mitchell is now eligible to sign a contract extension with the Cavs. At Atkinson鈥檚, team President Koby Altman said he also recently spoke with Mitchell while attending a basketball camp in Los Angeles.
鈥淗e's really invested in what we're doing and hopefully soon we'll have more of a decisive answer on that, but he's been great,鈥� Altman said. 鈥淗e's been super involved and super collaborative and very much pro-Cleveland.
Atkinson also believes that if Mitchell does stay for the long run, he can find a way to maximize the star guard鈥檚 partnership with Darius Garland.
鈥淚鈥檝e already spoken to Darius multiple times and I鈥檓 just a huge fan,鈥� Atkinson said. 鈥淸We] have a lot of pieces, but the talent is there ... I love [the idea of] both of them together.鈥�
Atkinson began his NBA coaching career in 2008 as an assistant with the New York Knicks. He earned his first head coaching job in 2016 with the Brooklyn Nets.
Atkinson spent the previous four NBA seasons as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors, where he had the chance to learn from highly regarded coaches Tyronn Lue and Steve Kerr.
鈥淚 soaked it in,鈥� Atkinson said. 鈥淚 think using [my] experiences with those two situations made me a better coach.鈥�
The Cavaliers finished this past season with a 48-34 regular season record and won their first playoff series for the first time since 2018 in a seven-game battle with the Orlando Magic.
Despite the recent success, Atkinson believes that there is still room for growth.
鈥淭his is a fantastic roster. And the culture [the Cavaliers] have built is in place,鈥� Atkinson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 coming here to give it a little more of a push.鈥�
Atkinson also discussed how he plans to utilize forward Evan Mobley鈥檚 size and speed.
鈥淗e鈥檚 generally going to have the ball in his hands more,鈥� Atkinson explained. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a strength of his [in] how he runs [down] the court. You鈥檒l see him more in transition with the ball.鈥�
Atkinson will have the chance to reconnect with guard Caris LeVert and center Jarrett Allen, who played in Brooklyn during his tenure.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like the first day of school when you come in and you know somebody that went to your elementary school,鈥� Atkinson said. 鈥淸But] it鈥檚 more than Jarrett and Caris. I feel like I know a lot of these guys. Just getting on the phone with [them], I鈥檓 like 鈥榯his is going to work.鈥欌��
Atkinson is currently serving as an assistant coach for the French National Basketball Team for this summer鈥檚 Olympics. He replaces former coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who recently agreed to a deal with Cleveland鈥檚 division rival, the Detroit Pistons.
The Cavaliers officially announced Atkinson鈥檚 hiring last Friday. He becomes the Cavs鈥� 24th head coach in franchise history.
