Since their departure from the NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers have repeatedly been told that they need to get tougher and more physical next season.
Writing for Cleveland.com, Terry Pluto agreed with that sentiment and said any change is going to come from head coach Kenny Atkinson.
“Atkinson can use the playoff loss to instill a more physical edge to the team. It’s not about turning them into a collection of hockey brawlers. They actually out-rebounded Indiana (229-208) in the series. Offensive rebounds went to the Cavs, 70-35,” Pluto wrote. “The Cavs need to be mentally more focused to handle the defensive pressure of a team such as Indiana. That falls to Atkinson. I also believe he will learn from some of the coaching mistakes he made.”
According to Pluto, the Cavaliers are already pretty tough, but they can get better.
It’s all about the mental game for this young squad, and that can be improved with Atkinson instilling more confidence and determination in his team.
Their latest playoff run was very humbling for the Cavaliers, and they will enter next season sure of themselves but also not taking anything for granted.
A lot of people thought they’d go all the way this season, but they fell short again, losing in the second round in just five games.
This shows that they need to become more focused and translate their skills into wins.
They were the best team in the league for much of 2024-25, but the postseason showed off their weak points, and now the Cavaliers will have to work hard to fix them.
From their physicality to their mentality, the Cavaliers have a few areas to address, and Atkinson will have to guide them and show why he’s the perfect head coach for them.
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