It has been a tumultuous regular season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But head coach Kenny Atkinson is finally getting some respect.
Atkinson was named by the NBA on Tuesday afternoon. Eastern Conference head coach for the month of February. The Cavs were 8–3 during February, responding with an exclamation point to president of basketball operations Koby Altman’s active trade deadline.
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The Cavaliers actually lost their final two games of February because they were without superstar guard Donovan Mitchell who has suffering from a back injury. But before those two losses, the Cavaliers had a massive win against the New York Knicks in the measuring stick game for the Eastern Conference.
During this season, the Cavaliers have been without key players including Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland for long periods of time. The Cavaliers traded Garland for James Harden at the NBA trade deadline, and Atkinson was able to manage that big change seamlessly.
After acquiring Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers for three days in February, the Cavaliers remained Undefeated in the “Beard Era” Until their loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 22.
More impressive than the record is what Atkinson has been able to do with the Cavaliers throughout the season. The Cavaliers did not have a completely healthy roster throughout the season. Yet Atkinson’s team still sits as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, just 1.5 games behind the Knicks.
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Why wouldn’t Atkinson’s award matter to the Cavs?
Atkinson’s Cavaliers will be measured by their performance in the NBA Playoffs.
Last season, the Cavaliers spent the final two months of the regular season talking about how they should be respected. With Victor Wembanyama sidelined, the team had productive campaigns that earned Atkinson the NBA Coach of the Year award and Mobley the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Unfortunately, the Cavs suffered a lopsided loss in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, a healthy and hungry basketball team.
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It’s paramount that the Cavaliers don’t find themselves wrapped up in the pursuit of honors again throughout the regular season, even though Atkinson recently won coach of the month. Instead, the Cavs should focus on adjusting and building chemistry over the last two dozen games of the season.
The Cavs have yet to debut this season for Max Straus, who is out for the offseason with a foot fracture. Once he returns, Atkinson will be coaching with a full deck for the first time all year.
The Cavaliers have some of the most favorable odds to win the Eastern Conference this season. Atkinson has flowers for the month of February, but the Cavs will need to play their best basketball in March and April to be ready for the postseason.
This article was originally published at www.si.com/nba/cavaliers/onsi Kenny Atkinson wins major NBA award to keep Cavaliers in playoff race.
