Kenny Atkinson was far from satisfied with the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 113-108 home win against the undermanned Denver Nuggets on Friday night, as they needed a late run to secure the victory.
Atkinson was particularly critical of their turnovers, as the Cleveland Cavaliers had 17 compared to the Denver Nuggets’ 10, with guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland accounting for 10 of them. He also felt that the team didn’t make the most of its frontcourt advantage enough, especially with Nikola Jokic (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (calf) on the sidelines.
“Our offense was just really bad. Stagnant, iso, not moving it, so that was the negative, and that’s why it looked clunky,” Atkinson said during the postgame presser. “We kept telling the guys, okay, they’re playing zone, but we can still play with pace. We don’t have to hold it, take 10 dribbles and jack a three.”
“Then just, generally, we gotta be stronger with the ball at the rim. Evan, like, c’mon man. I love Ev, but we got an advantage inside. If we’re gonna throw it to these guys, they gotta do more with it. So frustrated with our offense,” he added.
Cleveland Cavaliers News: Donovan Mitchell doubles down on Kenny Atkinson’s assessment
After a close first three quarters, the Cleveland Cavaliers turned up the screws defensively in the fourth period, outscoring the Denver Nuggets 25-11. They made a concerted effort to double-team Jamal Murray in the second half after he scored 28 of his 34 points in the first two quarters.
“I’d say we’re more focused. Which, I’m not too happy about. I know we all like to take the positive, but it shouldn’t be… My next challenge is it shouldn’t be until the 4th,” Donovan Mitchell stated.
“We still got a ways to go. We’re playing well. And maybe I’m being overly, like a little too much. We’ve done it for 10, 11 days… There’s a different vibe. It’s different. Now, instead of 7 games, it’s 10. 10, it’s 12. We’re at a time where not just talk about it but do it,” he continued.
