Kenny Atkinson's arrival in Cleveland could not have gone much better until the team's disappointing second-round exit in the NBA Playoffs at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

By utilizing a deep rotation, emphasizing cutting, and developing two young stars in Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, Atkinson earned 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year honors. The Cavs held the top seed in the Eastern Conference with home court advantage and had the top record in the East.

In the latest episode of Courtside with Cavs, Spencer German and I shared our thoughts on what can happen in the 2025-26 season under Atkinson after a full offseason and an upcoming training camp:

"He is going to have as much urgency as the players do. I don't know how much from an X's and O's standpoint that changes, but you know, going into the film room, he's going to find something. Maybe he's like, 'Okay, I thought we were conditioned last year, but we're going to turn it up a notch even more because of what happened in the Pacers series.' That sounds like a natural thing to do, right?

"He likes having all three phases [of pace], fast lineups. He likes having the slow-down lineups, which are the ones you usually see in a playoff atmosphere against half-court defenses. Then, you have that balance in between, that in-between lineup that's able to do both.

"Emphasis, I believe, will be on the rebounding aspect on both ends of the floor. That's going to be really important. The more possessions you get, the more opportunities you get. And when you have as many weapons on this team as the Cavs do, teams are going to really hurt -- especially when you're getting extra chances."

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You can follow our comprehensive Cavs coverage as a team here on RoundtableSports.