New Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson believes that health and how players are building details to their adjustments will help the group when the playoffs come around.
(via Cleveland Cavaliers):
Reporter: “What impact will you have especially when it comes to the playoffs to make the Cavaliers go deep?”
Atkinson: “Great question. I think that’s part of the reason we’re all here. First thing is health. Cavs healthy team last year changes things. So I think there’s an organizational kinda collective integrated approach to how we’re going to build this team up where there’s not only health, but also peak performance in the playoffs. But, there’s gotta be a plan in place. I can’t get on the whiteboard up here and detail it all out, but that’s first and foremost. I do think adjustments are big in the playoffs, and if you don’t kinda prepare for that during the year in February, March, November, whether that’s switching defenses, whether it’s offensive tweaks against switches.
“But I do think you have to work on that stuff consistently throughout the year, those playoff adjustments. So I think those are the two big ones for me, health and then how are we building details to our adjustments because we all know all of a sudden the playoffs come, you’re in this series and they’re throwing something at you. Is this the first time we’ve seen it? Is this the first time we’ve switched 1-5? Is this the first time we’ve gone box and 1? Is this the first time we’ve played 2-3 zone? Whatever it is, we’ve been working on that all season.”
