CLEVELAND — Kenny Atkinson couldn’t help but smile as he looked at the box score and stared at the record of his Cleveland Cavaliers.
His first season as their coach has gone perfectly.
“10-0 is something. It’s kind of a magic number, right?” Atkinson said. “I was worried about tonight because the Warriors are champions. That surprised me, how ready we were, how hungry we were. 10-0 is really something for our team.”
Darius Garland scored 27 points and Evan Mobley had 23 as the Cavaliers routed the Golden State Warriors 136-117 on Friday night, becoming the first team in NBA history to win its first 10 games and score at least 110 points in each of them.
Atkinson’s high-powered offence has been a great fit for Cleveland, which leads the league in points per game at 124.5 and with a .526 field goal percentage.
Under now-Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff last season, the Cavaliers averaged 112.6 points and shot .479 from the field — with the same top nine players on their roster. They lost to eventual champion Boston in the second round of the playoffs.
The only significant change made by general manager Koby Altman was hiring Atkinson after he spent three years as an assistant under Steve Kerr with the Warriors.
“This was a great job to get, just like mine was 10 years ago, and it’s a perfect spot for Kenny,” Kerr said. “Continuity was already there and they were damn good last year, but Kenny has added his touch. He obviously is a good fit.”
Atkinson’s up-tempo style quickly won over the face of the franchise, All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell. Atkinson had previously worked with current Cavs players Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert during his head coaching stint in Brooklyn, making the transition even smoother.
Utilizing Cleveland’s depth has also paid dividends during the best start in franchise history. Ten players are averaging at least 15 minutes a game, but none are logging more than 30.
“We’re playing fast and we’re playing the right way,” said backup guard Ty Jerome, who scored a season-high 20 points against Golden State. “Everyone is making shots and everyone is having fun. And Donovan and Darius’ selflessness is allowing us to play that way.”
On an evening when the Cavaliers built a 41-point halftime lead at 83-42 — tying the eighth largest in the NBA’s shot clock era — and equaled the team record for points in a half, several players noted they still haven’t reached their potential.
Cleveland has outshot its opponent in each game, but has only won the rebounding battle four times. The Cavs also committed 19 turnovers that led to 30 points against the Warriors.
“That’s the thing — we have a long way to go, a lot of stuff to clean up, which is great,” Allen said. “We know we can be better and we’re not going to stop working until we get there. Kenny is one of the best coaches in the league and it’s showing.”
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