CLEVELAND, Ohio — The news made its way to Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson on Tuesday afternoon, and his reaction was a combination of bewilderment and disapproval.
The NBA announced Tuesday that the organization had been fined $100,000 for violating the league’s Player Participation Policy during the Nov. 12 matchup in Miami — a night when Cleveland rested Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
On Wednesday night, ahead of Cleveland’s national TV showdown with the Houston Rockets, Atkinson said he disagreed with the league’s decision.
“I think my number one job is to continue to protect the health of our players,” Atkinson said passionately. “So [it’s] kind of that simple. I think that Miami game, we came home at 3:30 in the morning, so you have to anticipate sometimes too, what the schedule looks like. We have those discussions, we make decisions. I’ll rock with that decision.”
Will the hefty fine change the organization’s approach to rest nights — a big-picture plan that has been implemented to manage minutes during this grueling 82-game regular season?
“It doesn’t change my approach,” Atkinson said, pointing out that the Cavaliers have played 15 games in 27 nights, with three separate back-to-back sets and a fourth coming this weekend.
“Fifteen games in 27 days, let that sink in to everybody,” Atkinson said.
The Player Participation Policy, adopted prior to the 2023-24 season, is intended to promote participation and preserve the integrity of the NBA’s 82-game regular season.
Mitchell and Mobley are both classified as “star players” under the league’s guidelines, and the NBA ruled the Cavs didn’t meet the required criteria to keep them out last week in Miami.
Even without Mobley, Mitchell, Darius Garland (toe), Max Strus (foot surgery) and Jaylon Tyson (concussion), the Cavs rallied in the fourth quarter for a stunning 130-116 come-from-behind victory.
“We win that game too,” Atkinson pointed out. “So, to me, you throw that on top of it and it’s like, wait a second, are you discrediting the guys that played that night? Is that a weird way to look at it? We’re in a competitive environment here. So, on top of it, we helped develop guys and we won the game and then we get penalized for it. I don’t know if that makes sense to you. It doesn’t make sense to me. I understand the league has their policies, but again, I’m just looking it from my perspective, our organization.”
Like his former mentor — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr — Atkinson pointed to the leaguewide increase in pace and overall intensity and the toll that takes on player’s bodies, especially when there isn’t enough recovery time because of a condensed schedule. Atkinson also mentioned the crash-the-glass mentality that teams have adopted, pointing out that players aren’t just retreating back on defense following a shot attempt.
“There’s definitely conclusive data,” Atkinson explained. “We’ve got to figure this out. I know it’s a big discussion point with us.
“I’m sure the NBA doesn’t agree with everything I do. It’s a great league, it’s a great product. I’ve got to look at the Cavs’ best interest.”
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