Kenny Atkinson Says Cavaliers' Next Step Is Mental, Physical Toughness

Kenny Atkinson said Friday that the next step for the Cleveland Cavaliers is mental and physical toughness, not a change in scheme. The New York Knicks swept Cleveland out of the Eastern Conference Finals in May, and Atkinson spoke at the team's start-of-season press conference alongside president of basketball operations Koby Altman.

Cleveland needed seven games in each of the first two rounds. The Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 at home on May 3, their fifth straight Game 7 win, according to NBA.com.

Against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, Cleveland lost the first two games. The Cavaliers staved off elimination in Game 6 and won Game 7 on the road.

Atkinson said the film from those two series showed a team that learned how to respond to runs and handle leads.

"I think the main area was growth from a mental resiliency perspective: how we responded to runs, came back from deficits, dealt with leads, and played game seven on the road," Atkinson said. "There were mental hurdles we had to get over, and I thought we made huge strides. Our talent is our talent and our schemes are our schemes, but we realized there were mental toughness hurdles. That would be the positive."

Game 1 of the conference finals went the other way. Cleveland led 93-71 at Madison Square Garden with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter on May 19.

The Knicks closed on a 44-11 run and won 115-104 in overtime. Jalen Brunson scored 38 points.

"Unfortunately, the fourth quarter — they dominated us in the fourth quarter," Atkinson said after that game, according to The Associated Press.

New York won Game 2 by a 109-93 score and Game 3 by a 121-108 score. The Knicks finished the sweep with a 130-93 win at Rocket Arena on May 25.

In the clincher, Knicks coach Mike Brown said his team scored 65 points off offensive rebounds and fast breaks. Brunson was named the series MVP after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists.

It was Cleveland's first postseason sweep since the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. The Knicks went on to beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games for the championship.

Atkinson said the staff has discussed how the team could have prepared better for New York.

"Let's call it what it is," Atkinson explained. "The conference finals was not what we wanted. We had discussions about how we could have prepared better and taken care of business earlier. There are a lot of layers to it, and we probably let some opportunities slip away."

"We still have ways to go from a mental resiliency perspective," Atkinson continued. "I would put it more there than in how we could have changed schemes. That's this team's next jump: being mentally and physically tougher."

Cleveland reshaped its supporting cast after the sweep. Max Strus went to the LA Clippers in the five-team sign-and-trade that brought Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets. Dean Wade signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Dennis Schröder was traded to the Charlotte Hornets.

The Cavaliers also signed Mario Hezonja, the 2025-26 Liga ACB Most Valuable Player, after four seasons with Real Madrid.

The core stayed intact. Donovan Mitchell signed a four-year, $273 million extension in July, and James Harden agreed to a three-year, $97 million deal to return in August.

Atkinson enters his third season in Cleveland. His first team won 64 games before the Indiana Pacers eliminated it in five games in the second round.

Practice starts Sept. 30 in Fuengirola, Spain, after Monday's media day. The regular season opens Oct. 22 in Philadelphia against the 76ers.