Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson’s Bizarre Analytical Justification to 0-3 Deficit Stuns Fans – “You’re About to be Swept”

Kenny Atkinson and his Cleveland Cavaliers have dropped their first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals by 13 points on average.

Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson’s Bizarre Analytical Justification to 0-3 Deficit Stuns Fans – “You’re About to be Swept”

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Kenny Atkinson defended the Cavaliers' 0-3 playoff deficit by citing analytics, claiming they "won 2 out of 3" in expected score.
  • Fans reacted negatively to Atkinson's comments, comparing them to former GM Daryl Morey's controversial use of analytics.
  • The Cavaliers face a potential sweep, needing significant improvements to avoid elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals.

After the Philadelphia 76ers fired GM Daryl Morey earlier, many felt that the league’s overuse of analytics would cease to exist. That is, until Kenny Atkinson spoke with reporters.

The Cleveland Cavaliers head coach is not a bona fide statistics guy, but it is not uncommon for coaches to lean on numbers whenever required.

The Lakers’ JJ Redick is known for using stats whenever he wants to make a conscious decision, and has never been shy to acknowledge it. Being a former player, fans have generally accepted it, as he knows how to balance both sides without one negatively affecting the other.

It was not the same with Morey, who received a lot of flak from analysts and fans. The now former Sixers’ President of Basketball Operations was not spared when he admitted to using AI for player analysis.

Even though his draft picks have generally panned out well, other decisions have left fans believing analytics have been disastrous so far. Despite the awareness about the opinion on analytics, Kenny Atkinson decided to talk about it.

Analytically… We’ve won 2 out of 3 in the expected score.

Kenny Atkinson told reporters

The Cavaliers’ head coach was essentially trying to suggest that his team was analytically closer than the box score suggests. It was his way of saying that his team is not far off from the New York Knicks, and they should be able to turn the Eastern Conference Finals around.

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Fans lose it after Kenny Atkinson’s analytics-based opinion

To basketball fans, this sounded way too similar to how Daryl Morey once tried to explain a loss to his former boss, Houston Rockets’ owner Tilman Fertitta.

The billionaire ended up firing him, and now fans want passionate Cavs owner Dan Gilbert to do the same with Atkinson. They believe that if this is the reasoning he has while staring at a sweep, then he should not be coaching this team. Check out examples of those reactions below.

The Cavaliers have lost by an average of 13 points, with Game 3 being the worst margin of defeat. Fans felt that Atkinson needs a reality check, as another loss will not allow him to keep offering such bizarre excuses.

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Kenny Atkinson has to find improvements to avoid sweep

Even if one were to agree to Atkinson’s reasoning, he does not have much time on his hands. The Cavaliers are facing an embarrassing sweep, and unless they can close the so-called expected-score gap, their season will be over at home.

Donovan Mitchell and head coach Kenny Atkinson
Donovan Mitchell and head coach Kenny Atkinson (Image via Basket News/X)

In the first game, James Harden was criticized for his defense. Others have defended the league MVP, but it seems his head coach has not been able to bring in schemes to counter any isolation situations his second-best scorer faces.

On top of that, Game 3 had a lot of defensive breakdowns. If the Cavaliers are to avoid fans leaving the game early again, they have to step up their intensity.

The Knicks are playing with fire under their bellies, and their opponents are not. If Kenny Atkinson has to avoid this becoming an embarrassing situation, he needs to galvanize them before Game 4.

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