CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kenny Atkinson is entering his second season as the Cavs’ head coach with both the comfort of a successful debut campaign and the uncomfortable reality that in the NBA coaching world, past success guarantees nothing.
Despite leading the Cavs to 64 wins and securing home-court advantage through the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, Atkinson now faces the harsh truth that his long-term job security hinges entirely on playoff advancement – not regular season achievements.
“If things don’t go the Cavs’ way in the next two years, Kenny Atkinson, you might not be safe either,” warned Wine and Gold Talk podcast host Ethan Sands, highlighting the precarious nature of NBA coaching positions even after impressive initial results.
Jimmy Watkins, cleveland.com columnist, frames it perfectly: “Well, we all know how the coaching thing works. It’s a what have you done for me lately business. And it’s kind of like running a business where it’s never good enough to just be good. You always have to be better because if you’re not getting better, then to the layman, what is the coach doing?”
This stark assessment reflects the unforgiving landscape of professional coaching, where success is always measured against escalating expectations.
The Cavaliers’ second-round playoff exit against the Indiana Pacers last season has already reset the bar.
No matter how impressive their regular season performance might be in 2025-26, anything short of meaningful playoff advancement will be viewed as stagnation – or worse, regression.
“And just basic NBA rules. If you’re losing playoff series, you’re not supposed to lose. That’s bad for everyone’s job security,” Watkins noted bluntly.
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What makes Atkinson’s position particularly challenging is that he’s been brought in with a clear mandate: develop a championship-caliber team around Cleveland’s young core.
The organization has invested heavily in talent, adding Lonzo Ball this offseason to a group that already includes Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen after investing in De’Andre Hunter midway through last season.
With these investments comes escalating pressure to deliver results when they matter most.
For Atkinson, the path forward requires balancing immediate playoff success with the longer-term development of key players – particularly Evan Mobley, whom Watkins called “the most important player development project maybe in the entire NBA, short of [Victor Wembanyama] and Cooper Flag.”
The irony is that Atkinson built his reputation as a player development coach during his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets, gradually improving a talent-deficient roster. Now, he faces almost the opposite challenge – maximizing a talented roster with championship expectations while still developing young stars like Mobley.
Even with the “long leash” Sands suggests Atkinson has earned with the organization, the next two seasons represent a critical window for both the coach and the franchise.
If the Cavaliers fail to advance deeper into the playoffs, Atkinson could quickly find himself on the hot seat – regardless of regular season success.
For Atkinson and the Cavaliers, what happens in May and June matters far more than what happens from October through April.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
