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[Saba Sports News] Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is firmly in the running for NBA Coach of the Year honors, but not everyone is convinced he deserves it—especially former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer.
During an appearance on ESPN’s ‘First Take’ Monday, Boozer dismissed the idea that Atkinson should be a top contender. Instead, he argued that Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka is more deserving of the award, claiming Atkinson simply inherited a ready-made roster.
“Ime Udoka is the Coach of the Year and nobody’s talking about that. Everybody wants to talk about Cleveland,” Boozer said. “(Atkinson) was gifted a team that already had All-Stars on it. I would even say JB Bickerstaff in Detroit, because nobody expected Detroit to be in the top seven, top eight in the Eastern Conference. But the Houston Rockets started from scratch.”
Boozer may be underselling Atkinson’s impact. While Cleveland had a similar roster last season under Bickerstaff, they finished 48-34 and were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. This year, the Cavs have already hit 57 wins with 11 games remaining, showing significant improvement across the board under Atkinson’s leadership.
As for the Rockets, Udoka has guided them from a 41-41 record to a 46-26 mark with a young, developing roster—a strong case in its own right. But Boozer’s take may be more debatable than definitive.
Interestingly, Boozer began his NBA career with Cleveland, making his sharp comments about the Cavs even more notable. Regardless of the criticism, the Cavaliers appear poised to secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference—an outcome that speaks volumes about Atkinson’s impact.