Cavaliers New Head Coach Opens Up About Early-Season Rotation

Kenny Atkinson said the Cleveland Cavaliers could have a 10 or 11-man rotation to start the season.

Feb 8, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Kenny Atkinson had two big challenges during his first season as the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach.

The first one is obviously figuring out how to maximize the strengths of the core four players: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. The next one is determining how he'll manage his bench.

The Wine and Gold have a lot of depth, but they all can't play every game. Right? Kenny Atkinson opened up about the season rotation last Friday during his media avilablity and revealed his plan for the team, at least to start the season.

"We are going to play 10 guys, right off the bat. I'd even say maybe 11. That's very possible," said Atkinson. "So, we have great depth, right? How many rotation players do we have? I think by developing your bench prepares you for the playoffs ... We are going to trust our depth and play a lot of guys."

Mar 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers bench reacts to a three-point basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

We could have assumed heading into the season that Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Ty Jerome, and Dean Wade would each have roles off the bench. Now, based on Atkinson's comments, we could very well see Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill, Georges Niang, and Craig Porter Jr. be in the mix and get consistent minutes as reserves.

This is a smart strategy for Atkinson to use at the start of the season. Yes, he's been studying how to best employ this team for a few months now, but there's nothing like seeing a player compete in real NBA games.

The interesting part of all of this will be whether or not the new coach continues with a 10 or 11-man rotation throughout the season. This is something we won't know the answer to until January or beyond.