The Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team in basketball right now.
As such, it only makes sense that the head coach gets some recognition.
That’s why Sam Amico didn’t hesitate to rank Kenny Atkinson as the best coach in the league right now.
In the latest edition of “Full Court Cleveland,” the renowned insider put the Cavs coach at No.1, followed by Houston Rockets’ coach Ime Udoka and Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
.@AmicoHoops power ranked the best coaches in the NBA? Do you agree with Sam's list? #LetEmKnow
1. Kenny Atkinson
2. Ime Udoka
3. Mark Daigneault
HM: Joe Mazzulla, JB Bickerstaff pic.twitter.com/DluKOo6edP— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) February 3, 2025
Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics and J.B. Bickerstaff from the Detroit Pistons round out his list.
Ironically, Bickerstaff was let go this offseason.
That’s perhaps what makes Atkinson’s work so impressive.
He’s been behind one of the most notorious turnarounds in recent NBA history.
The Cavaliers didn’t make any big signings or moves in the offseason.
Atkinson essentially took the same core group of players from the previous season and elevated their performance to a whole new level.
He maintained the strong defensive identity established by his predecessor and transformed their offense with a Golden State Warriors-style, free-flowing system.
As a result, the Cavaliers have spent most of the season in the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Granted, Amico might be a little biased because of his allegiances to the Cavs, and Atkinson might not be the best coach overall.
Nevertheless, numbers don’t lie, and the Cavs are having their best season in franchise history and have been the team to beat in the league all year long, so it’s time to finally give credit where it’s due.
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