When Kenny Atkinson sat down for lunch with Donovan Mitchell contained in the 4 Seasons Westlake Village simply outdoors of Los Angeles in late June, his mission was clear: Encourage sufficient belief and perception within the Cleveland Cavaliers’ franchise participant that Mitchell can be compelled to signal a brand new contract somewhat than let the specter of free company creep any nearer.
The 57-year-old Atkinson was simply days faraway from signing his cope with the crew, and the subsequent merchandise on the Cavs’ agenda was to make sure the crew’s future. However on this NBA period the place know-how guidelines the day, with iPads on each coach’s bench and PowerPoint displays an omnipresent a part of the routine, this vital X’s and O’s session was as low-tech as they arrive.
“We had been going over (Atkinson’s imaginative and prescient) with f—ing salt and pepper on the little place mat,” Mitchell informed The Athletic just lately. “This man could possibly be right here and put this there. Naturally, what received me was the truth that we’re having this sort of dialogue at a daily lunch. We’re legitimately attempting to determine all of it out, and we’re saying, ‘All proper, we are able to plug this individual right here and the place will we put this man?’ Evan (Mobley) goes right here, with the rifle motion. He units up this (motion), and you’ll slip. We’re simply going over every little thing.”
For greater than an hour, not one of the inside pressure that had preceded Atkinson’s arrival — and which led to the firing of former coach J.B. Bickerstaff after the Cavs fell to the Boston Celtics within the Jap Convention semifinals — mattered practically as a lot because the query of whether or not these two males would click on on this high-level basketball dialog. After all of the angst in Cleveland final season — from the entrance workplace’s issues about Mitchell taking part in an excessive amount of to the well-known doubts about Bickerstaff within the locker room, huge man Jarrett Allen’s longer-than-expected restoration from a rib harm within the playoffs, former All-Star guard Darius Garland presumably eager to be traded and younger Evan Mobley’s regression — this was their probability to chart a brand new, more healthy path ahead. However it must begin with Atkinson and Mitchell.
Atkinson, the previous Brooklyn Nets head coach who spent the earlier 4 seasons as a Golden State assistant, didn’t know Mitchell properly. They crossed paths briefly in 2017, when Mitchell labored out for Brooklyn main into the draft throughout Atkinson’s time there, however had been in any other case complete strangers.
Not for lengthy, although.
“I needed it to be extra informal than a chalkboard session,” Atkinson informed The Athletic about his method to the assembly. “I needed his ideas about how we’d play, ideas on the crew. I mentioned, ‘Let’s go down the roster, and inform me about each man.’ And it was superb. It was like speaking to a coach. He had such a depth of information.
“He gave me the lowdown on each man, in order that was the spark for me. Like, man, I’ve received the blueprint proper right here, after which speaking to him strategically about what we needed to do. His IQ is off the charts — actually off the charts. We simply clicked, you recognize? Strategically. And that’s vital. You might meet and never click on. He purchased in proper off the bat.”
This was hardly a puff pitch, although. Atkinson, who beat out New Orleans affiliate head coach James Borrego and Minnesota lead assistant Micah Nori for the job, can be asking for Mitchell to sacrifice a few of his duties, and his taking part in time, for the sake of the higher good. This was, in essence, his first and finest probability to promote Mitchell on a less-is-more technique.
He needed to reduce the 28-year-old’s minutes in an try to protect his well being for the playoffs. Atkinson envisioned an even bigger playmaking function for Mobley by which he would grow to be their model of the Warriors’ Draymond Inexperienced, thereby decreasing Mitchell’s time with the ball, whereas additionally empowering Garland extra as a playmaker. He needed to put in a movement offense that might avoid the extra predictable pick-and-roll and isolation-heavy scheme from earlier than, with fixed reducing and crashing of the boards among the many core ideas. And Atkinson, whose NBA teaching influences embrace Rick Adelman, Mike D’Antoni, Mike Budenholzer and Steve Kerr throughout his NBA journey, opted to hear first earlier than he laid out his imaginative and prescient.
The partnership started proper then.
“It wasn’t arduous,” Mitchell mentioned of trusting Atkinson’s message. “It’s simply completely different. I imply, it is a completely different method to my 12 months this 12 months. Minutes are decrease. Clearly, my averages are decrease, so it’s all about having the ability to belief in him. When you might have a man like this saying, like, ‘That is what can take us (to the subsequent degree) …’ then it makes it simple.”
The significance of Mitchell’s half within the plan, and the essential nature of his contract extension, can’t be overstated. Not solely was the five-time All-Star on the middle of their post-LeBron James plan that got here collectively after they landed him from Utah in September 2022, but in addition the truth that he could possibly be a free agent the next summer season if he didn’t signal the extension meant their core would possibly crumble if he didn’t re-up. And if Atkinson couldn’t discover a solution to actually join with Mitchell, to encourage buy-in and a vital bond they might all want by talking his basketball language, then who knew what would possibly come subsequent.
Simply days later, after their assembly that set such an vital tone on this essential Cavs relationship, Mitchell’s choice to ink a three-year, $150 million extension gave Cleveland the form of prolonged probability at rivalry that few, if any, groups have in at the moment’s luxury-tax laden sport. The query now, with Mitchell and Atkinson’s relationship making a little bit of a butterfly impact, is whether or not these Cavs can dwell as much as the early season hype and keep away from the form of anticlimactic ending that Mitchell is aware of all too properly.
As soon as Mitchell’s deal was performed, the strikes towards an extended runway continued. Mobley signed a five-year, $224 million extension in late July. Allen signed his three-year, $90 million deal in early August. The core, in the end, was set. And now, with the Cavs a league-best 17-1 and all the statistical indicators pointing to them being actually particular, Mitchell is able to admit this a lot: After all of the playoff heartache he’s endured throughout eight seasons, he’s permitting himself to get excited in regards to the postseason prospects once more.
As Mitchell is painfully conscious, there’s a distinct form of strain that comes with being an elite participant who hasn’t made a deep playoff run or, higher but, received a title. He has made the playoffs seven instances however has but to succeed in a convention finals. There was loads of untimely positivity alongside the best way.
His Utah Jazz had the league’s finest report within the 2020-21 marketing campaign (52-20), solely to fall to the LA Clippers within the second spherical of the playoffs. Cleveland was 22-11 in his first season on the town, completed 51-31, then fell within the first spherical to the New York Knicks (5 video games). Final season’s Cavs had been 35-16 after a nine-game profitable streak that ran via mid-February, solely to go 13-18 down the stretch earlier than the postseason arrived and the Celtics took them out.
You get the concept.
Nonetheless, these first 5 weeks have been nothing wanting historic. Earlier than their loss in Boston on Nov. 19, Cleveland had grow to be simply the fourth crew all-time to start out a season 15-0. The Cavs have the league’s finest web ranking, one of the best offensive ranking and the Tenth-best defensive ranking. For this time of 12 months, it doesn’t get rather more spectacular.
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“I’m not gonna lie, I’m fairly excited,” Mitchell mentioned. “Once you signal someplace, and once you decide to be someplace. …”
He took a second to collect his ideas.
“I used to be assured this was going to occur, however did I believe it was going to occur this 12 months?” he requested. “I can’t say I believed it was going to simply click on instantly. I’m not going to sit down right here and be like, Oh, yeah (I noticed it coming). However that’s what makes it thrilling. It’s like, ‘All proper, that is every little thing I envisioned for this crew. And it’s f—ing taking place.’
“However now I make the joke, like, we screwed ourselves now, as a result of now we all know who we’re. We confirmed who we’re. So that is who we’re. That is the barometer. That is the worst, in my eyes, and we haven’t even continued to develop. Evan is simply beginning to scratch the floor. DG (Garland) and myself are simply persevering with to get higher. (Jarrett Allen). So there’s undoubtedly some pleasure, for certain.”
The temper change from seven months in the past is sort of stark.
By the point the Cavs’ season resulted in Recreation 5 in Boston on Might 15, the problems that led to the teaching change had been unimaginable to disregard. The priority over Mitchell’s taking part in time seemed to be based when a calf harm prohibited him from taking part in within the final two video games towards the Celtics.
The developmental delay with Mobley was an issue. And crew sources say Garland, the 24-year-old former All-Star whose manufacturing declined final season whereas taking part in alongside Mitchell, had made it clear internally that he wasn’t content material tenting out within the nook. He needed the liberty to be his finest self, and to share a extra equitable a part of the offensive load with Mitchell within the backcourt. With Garland signed via the summer season of 2028, Cavs officers believed placing him comfortable was paramount. The selection to half methods with Bickerstaff and add Atkinson, in flip, was designed to offer the options to their many issues.
Donovan Mitchell and J.B. Bickerstaff talk about their subsequent transfer throughout the Cavs’ playoff collection towards the Knicks in April 2023. (Jason Miller / Getty Photographs)
“I needed the group to make that (teaching) choice,” Mitchell mentioned. “Clearly I do know folks most likely suppose I f—ing did all of it, however on the finish of the day, I belief in (Cavs normal supervisor) Koby (Altman). I belief within the entrance workplace to be like, ‘All proper, what’s the choice?’ After which you determine what the longer term appears like.”
With Mitchell’s contract choice looming, he needed readability on the teaching entrance earlier than making his last choice.
“Clearly it performed an element, simply to determine what’s going to occur,” he continued. “Once we met earlier than I signed in L.A., (Atkinson) principally informed me, like, ‘Hey, that is the plan. We’re going to enter it with a plan, with intentionality.’ …Yeah, they got here up with a plan. And my greatest factor is simply following (the plan), and trusting it, and believing in it.”
But contemplating the indeniable connection between stats and stardom, and the truth that Atkinson’s concepts would possibly make it tougher to earn particular person accolades, that half was simpler mentioned than performed. A lot to Mitchell’s chagrin, Atkinson proposed a light-weight contact of load administration designed to maintain him more healthy and brisker come playoff time.
However the outcomes, from Mitchell and past, have solely buoyed the boldness in Atkinson’s method. Whereas Mitchell’s minutes have gone from a team-high 35.3 per sport final season to a team-high 31.2 this time round, he’s nonetheless producing at an All-Star-level price (24.2 factors, 4.4 rebounds, and three.7 assists this season in comparison with 26.6 factors, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists final season). He even took a sport off to relaxation just lately, sitting Nov. 17 towards Charlotte (a win) that was scheduled as an off day earlier than the season started.
In the meantime, Garland is producing at an excellent larger degree on a per-minute foundation than he was throughout his All-Star season in 2021-22 (31.6 factors and 10.8 assists per 100 possessions this season in comparison with 29.7 factors and 11.8 assists then). His minutes have additionally dropped, from 33.4 per to 30.1.
In Mitchell’s view, this early stretch of on-court synergy between them is the newest proof that this backcourt will be particular for years to come back. As for the uncomfortableness that got here earlier than when so many puzzled if this backcourt may be damaged up, Mitchell mentioned the connection they’d constructed throughout two seasons collectively served as a stabilizer of types.
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“We at all times knew what we had as a friendship off the ground,” Mitchell mentioned of Garland. “I believe that’s when — excuse my language — sh– will get f—ing sticky. Once you don’t have that relationship, there’s no belief.
“I let him take that point, as a result of like I inform him, ‘We’re advantageous.’ …I used to be like, ‘No, we’re good. Take the time you want.’ He had lots of stuff happening final 12 months, had a tough 12 months (together with a damaged jaw that price him six weeks halfway via the season). I mentioned, ‘Come again and be able to roll.’ That’s it. On the finish of the day, that’s going to close all of the sh– up. So for us, that’s actually what it was, as a result of you possibly can’t management what the surface narrative is. It’s what it’s, and now he’s right here hooping and that’s all that actually issues on the finish of the day.”
But if these Cavs discover a solution to attain the NBA’s promised land, profitable all of it after the summer season of uncertainty that sparked all this dominance, it’ll all return to the 4 Seasons assembly by which Atkinson and Mitchell began constructing the muse collectively. That’s the place the belief started to construct, and the place Mitchell’s alternative to provide this group an extended look led to one of many league’s unlikeliest success tales.
“(Mitchell) is the one who informed me, ‘Hey, our subsequent step is empowering Evan,’ ” Atkinson mentioned. “It wasn’t, ‘I want the ball extra, or we have to run this for me.’ It was about, ‘How can this crew make the subsequent soar?’ After which he put Darius (within the dialog). He mentioned, ‘Me and Darius will be nice collectively. There’s no motive we are able to’t be nice collectively.’
“So lots of it got here from him. He simply had a great grip on the place this crew must go. That helped me steer the ship as a result of I form of received the blueprint.”
And a great meal, in addition.
“It was a pleasant lunch,” Atkinson mentioned with a smile. “A very nice lunch.”
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(Illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; images: Barry Gossage / NBAE through Getty Photographs; Jonathan Bachman / Getty Photographs; Jason Miller / Getty Photographs)
