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CLEVELAND — With the Cavaliers, we're not talking about all gas, no brakes. Not now. It's more like moderate gas, prescribed breaks.
For anyone who doesn't like it, you can't say Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson didn't warn you.
The Cavs are operating exactly the way Atkinson explained they would way back on Sept. 27.
Going for the regular-season franchise record for most wins? Nope. Resting some key players with a priority on trying to enter the playoffs as healthy as possible? Bingo.
All-Star forward Evan Mobley rested Thursday night as the Cavs returned to Rocket Arena on the heels of a 10-day road trip and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 124-116.
Don't be surprised if another prominent Cavs player rests Friday night during the second half of a back-to-back at the Detroit Pistons.
Atkinson and the front office have two words for any naysayers out there: Sports science.
While Atkinson spoke during media day availability in late September, a reporter asked him how he could help the Cavs advance deeper into the playoffs a year after the Boston Celtics eliminated Cleveland 4-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"The first thing is health," Atkinson said at the time.
Before Thursday's game, Atkinson remained consistent as he outlined what's most important for the Cavs down the stretch of the regular season (they have nine games left before the playoffs).
Cavs news: Recap and highlights from Cavaliers vs. Spurs as Cleveland gets closer to No. 1 seed
“Stay healthy,” Atkinson said. “Obviously, you see how we're doing this and how we're strategizing this. Keep our best players healthy and also get minutes for our guys that we're going to need in the playoffs. Get their rhythm and make sure they're getting sufficient minutes.
“Strategically right now, I think we're pretty set. We pretty much know who we are. We kind of know how we want to play, but [we're] prioritizing health and getting our rotation guys and potential rotation guys minutes.”
What the Cavaliers are leaving unspoken is they're battling a late-season challenge akin to senioritis. Everyone is waiting for the postseason to begin, including Atkinson and his players. The catch is they still need to be engaged enough to finish the business of clinching the No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Their magic number is now five. The second-place and defending NBA champion Celtics (54-19) are five games behind the Cavs.
As usual, balance is vital.
Big names — Mobley and All-Star guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell — have rested and will continue to do so. Some of Atkinson's lineups have resembled science-fair projects and will continue to do so.
But an ability to focus is a habit no team with championship aspirations would ever want to forsake.
Small forward Max Strus delivered a message along those lines during Thursday's game. Because Strus experienced the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat in 2023, he has a great sense of how a team ought to conduct itself to reach the level it seeks.
“You've got to be playing your best basketball going into the playoffs,” Strus said. “You don't just want to wake up when it's time to wake up.”
The Cavs woke up against the Spurs (31-41) in time to secure their third consecutive win coming off a four-game losing streak, their longest skid during what has been a remarkable season.
Center Jarrett Allen scored a game-high 29 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field. He had 27 points in the second half, including 19 in the fourth quarter. He grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds and added a steal and a blocked shot in 30 minutes.
Mitchell nearly produced the first triple-double of his career, finishing with 25 points, a career-high 14 assists and eight rebounds.
More Cavaliers coverage: 'He's part of the Big 4': Cavs see Jarrett Allen as vital, humble part of the roster
Four other Cavs scored in double figures. Strus had 18 points, wing De'Andre Hunter 14, guard Sam Merrill 13 and Garland 10.
During an otherwise rough outing, Garland scored half of his points in crunch time, making a 3-pointer with 1:16 left to give the Cavs a 120-114 lead and a layup with 20.7 seconds remaining for a 122-114 advantage.
Garland rested during a game March 19. Mitchell rested March 2, missed games March 11 and 14 with left groin soreness and sat out Tuesday because of injury management related to the groin issue.
It would be shocking if Garland and Mitchell were to play in each of the nine remaining regular-season games, and Atkinson's presence is a factor. He bought into sports science roughly 17 years ago as a New York Knicks assistant.
The Cavs aren't going to push it right now — period. Just refer to the plan Atkinson clearly stated in September. They could break the club record for regular-season wins (66-16 in 2008-09) by going 8-1 in the buildup to the playoffs, yet it's not even close to the forefront of the organization's big-picture approach. They'll try to win with the players who are available, but some players will be unavailable by design. For others, minutes could be funky.
“I think it's part of my job to help guys stay healthy,” Atkinson said. “I think, obviously, I communicate intimately, intensely, with our performance staff, and we bounce things off.
“I do know the soft-tissue stuff is, they say, preventable, right? That one is. So it's a constant [conversation]. We're at it all the time.
“Our No. 1 goal is to keep these guys healthy. That's a huge, huge advantage if we can go through these playoffs with a healthy roster.”
This has been reasonable prediction for the majority of the season: The Cavs and Celtics will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the healthier team will prevail in Game 7.
Keep it in mind with the April 13 regular-season finale on the horizon, or the next two weeks might just drive you crazy.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavs lean on sports science with focus on health in playoffs
Continue reading...
For anyone who doesn't like it, you can't say Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson didn't warn you.
The Cavs are operating exactly the way Atkinson explained they would way back on Sept. 27.
Going for the regular-season franchise record for most wins? Nope. Resting some key players with a priority on trying to enter the playoffs as healthy as possible? Bingo.
All-Star forward Evan Mobley rested Thursday night as the Cavs returned to Rocket Arena on the heels of a 10-day road trip and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 124-116.
Don't be surprised if another prominent Cavs player rests Friday night during the second half of a back-to-back at the Detroit Pistons.
Atkinson and the front office have two words for any naysayers out there: Sports science.
You must be registered for see images attach
While Atkinson spoke during media day availability in late September, a reporter asked him how he could help the Cavs advance deeper into the playoffs a year after the Boston Celtics eliminated Cleveland 4-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"The first thing is health," Atkinson said at the time.
Before Thursday's game, Atkinson remained consistent as he outlined what's most important for the Cavs down the stretch of the regular season (they have nine games left before the playoffs).
Cavs news: Recap and highlights from Cavaliers vs. Spurs as Cleveland gets closer to No. 1 seed
“Stay healthy,” Atkinson said. “Obviously, you see how we're doing this and how we're strategizing this. Keep our best players healthy and also get minutes for our guys that we're going to need in the playoffs. Get their rhythm and make sure they're getting sufficient minutes.
“Strategically right now, I think we're pretty set. We pretty much know who we are. We kind of know how we want to play, but [we're] prioritizing health and getting our rotation guys and potential rotation guys minutes.”
What the Cavaliers are leaving unspoken is they're battling a late-season challenge akin to senioritis. Everyone is waiting for the postseason to begin, including Atkinson and his players. The catch is they still need to be engaged enough to finish the business of clinching the No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Their magic number is now five. The second-place and defending NBA champion Celtics (54-19) are five games behind the Cavs.
As usual, balance is vital.
You must be registered for see images attach
Big names — Mobley and All-Star guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell — have rested and will continue to do so. Some of Atkinson's lineups have resembled science-fair projects and will continue to do so.
But an ability to focus is a habit no team with championship aspirations would ever want to forsake.
Small forward Max Strus delivered a message along those lines during Thursday's game. Because Strus experienced the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat in 2023, he has a great sense of how a team ought to conduct itself to reach the level it seeks.
“You've got to be playing your best basketball going into the playoffs,” Strus said. “You don't just want to wake up when it's time to wake up.”
The Cavs woke up against the Spurs (31-41) in time to secure their third consecutive win coming off a four-game losing streak, their longest skid during what has been a remarkable season.
You must be registered for see images attach
Center Jarrett Allen scored a game-high 29 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field. He had 27 points in the second half, including 19 in the fourth quarter. He grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds and added a steal and a blocked shot in 30 minutes.
Mitchell nearly produced the first triple-double of his career, finishing with 25 points, a career-high 14 assists and eight rebounds.
More Cavaliers coverage: 'He's part of the Big 4': Cavs see Jarrett Allen as vital, humble part of the roster
Four other Cavs scored in double figures. Strus had 18 points, wing De'Andre Hunter 14, guard Sam Merrill 13 and Garland 10.
During an otherwise rough outing, Garland scored half of his points in crunch time, making a 3-pointer with 1:16 left to give the Cavs a 120-114 lead and a layup with 20.7 seconds remaining for a 122-114 advantage.
Garland rested during a game March 19. Mitchell rested March 2, missed games March 11 and 14 with left groin soreness and sat out Tuesday because of injury management related to the groin issue.
You must be registered for see images attach
It would be shocking if Garland and Mitchell were to play in each of the nine remaining regular-season games, and Atkinson's presence is a factor. He bought into sports science roughly 17 years ago as a New York Knicks assistant.
The Cavs aren't going to push it right now — period. Just refer to the plan Atkinson clearly stated in September. They could break the club record for regular-season wins (66-16 in 2008-09) by going 8-1 in the buildup to the playoffs, yet it's not even close to the forefront of the organization's big-picture approach. They'll try to win with the players who are available, but some players will be unavailable by design. For others, minutes could be funky.
“I think it's part of my job to help guys stay healthy,” Atkinson said. “I think, obviously, I communicate intimately, intensely, with our performance staff, and we bounce things off.
“I do know the soft-tissue stuff is, they say, preventable, right? That one is. So it's a constant [conversation]. We're at it all the time.
“Our No. 1 goal is to keep these guys healthy. That's a huge, huge advantage if we can go through these playoffs with a healthy roster.”
This has been reasonable prediction for the majority of the season: The Cavs and Celtics will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the healthier team will prevail in Game 7.
Keep it in mind with the April 13 regular-season finale on the horizon, or the next two weeks might just drive you crazy.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavs lean on sports science with focus on health in playoffs
Continue reading...
