Before visiting Little Caesars Arena, the Cavaliers had enough reasons to believe in making it 13-0 against the Pistons in the regular season. Especially with Cade Cunningham out, the writing was on the wall. But JB Bickerstaff had other plans. He wasn’t about to let his former team forget the coaching acumen he possessed. And the Pistons executed his plans perfectly. From the tip-off, the team was dominant. Cleveland did try to mount a comeback. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell tried to carry the load. But the efforts fell short. That’s it. Kenny Atkinson had seen enough. With the playoffs approaching, it was high time to issue a warning to his team.
After a season of hard work, mistakes are the last thing the head coach expects. Yet, slow starts have been a recurring issue, often putting them in tough spots. Friday night was no exception. After the 133-122 loss, Kenny addressed the media in the press conference, who were questioning whether the team’s struggles were tactical or due to fatigue. “I think there’s some technique stuff,” he responded.
The Cavs HC further explained, “I think there’s sometimes it comes down to hitting first. Like, sometimes it’s just physicality and aggressiveness. With rebounding, there’s not a ton of tactics involved. It’s like, at the end of the day, I think I’ve come to the conclusion it’s like, whoever gets the hit first, whoever hits first, drives the other guy out, and you go get the rebound.” He emphasized that the rebounding often comes down to physicality and aggressiveness, not tactics. And the Cavs are currently lacking in that area.
So Kenny sent a strong message to Darius Garland and Co., saying, “I told the guys, I said, ‘Listen, what you don’t want is to be down in a series 2-0, ’cause you’re getting pounded on the board. There’s other things where that can happen, but having that happen is kind of inexcusable. So we, it’s definitely something we got to turn, we got to fix.’”
Now is definitely not the time to fall behind. Kenny pointed out that while other factors can contribute to a loss, getting dominated on the boards is unacceptable. It wasn’t just him delivering a message. Garland also made a demand to his backcourt partner.
Darius Garland opens up about his demand to himself and Donovan Mitchell
Though the team’s overall contribution was lacking, two players gave their all until the very end- Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. The latter scored 38 points and Garland added 21 to the Cavs’ scoreboard. While it didn’t work out this time, there’s no denying that the team depends on them in critical moments to close out games. And Garland completely agreed with it.
He also expressed confidence in Mitchell and Craig Porter Jr. “We got our closers, we got our guys that we go to for any bucket, anytime. So, I mean, it’s the confidence that we have with each other, so that’s what’s going to put us over the top in those close situations,” Garland claimed. However, he acknowledged that there are still areas where they need to improve execution.
Apr 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and guard Darius Garland (10) talk in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Garland emphasized, “The execution part is definitely, we got to work on, and we have to figure that out a little bit better so everybody can be in the same spot and everybody know where we can, what we’re going to do and what we’re going to run.” Basically, he feels that the team needs to improve their execution, particularly in terms of coordination. Garland believes it’s also crucial for all of them to be in the right position and understand the plays that they need to run. They need to ensure that they are all on the same page when it matters most.
This was a direct message to Mitchell, Craig, and himself, as they all know how to execute the plays in the final quarter. Even against the Pistons, the team scored 39 points but couldn’t close the gap that Detroit had built. Maybe if all of them follow his demand, they could make a difference.
What’s happened is in the past. Now, they need to focus on the eight remaining games of the regular season. As Max Strus said last time, they need to start now, there’s no waiting for a wake-up call at the last moment. Moreover, there’s pressure on Kenny Atkinson too. It’s high time for him to buckle up. If not, he could risk losing the Coach of the Year title to JB Bickerstaff, just like in this game.
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