Cavs at Raptors | Kenny Atkinson Post Game | 10.31.2025

Cavs at Raptors | Kenny Atkinson Post Game | 10.31.2025

Kenny, how do you evaluate tonight with so many guys out? I love how we competed. That was the baseline tonight. You know, we’re going to go out. We’re going to go out and um we’re going to make mistakes. It’s not going to be perfect. We got a lot of guys in different roles. Um you know, and so I I just I just love we I I liked our process. You know, maybe the end of the game I didn’t love. I I felt like we just we started isoing, you know, that that that’s the one negative. But I’d say 97% of the game I I just kept telling I love what I love our process. I like what we’re doing on both ends. Um you know um I think you know we lost um you know we lost their shooter um you know a couple times and you know he he was really the difference. Um, you know, Battle came in and hurt us, hit those threes. He kind of, you know, good substitution by them. He he uh he changed the game. They got downhill a few times. Um, but overall, pleased pleased with our group, pleased with how we played. It appeared like in the second half, Evan, it was more of a focal point for him to get downhill, get to the basket. What What changed there to get that going? Listen, we we talked Danny, we talked about it pregame just um that that was a maybe the number one positive of tonight, you know, if you know that and us our competition level, but um I thought he um I thought he really made really was intent on getting to that paint, driving it to the paint, um and and making the right play most of the time. Um, you know, again, in the game, I think we got, you know, guys think they kind of got to do it themselves, you know, so it got sticky, but um um real positive. I told him in the locker room, I said, I loved how you played tonight. That was that’s the Evan we know. Um, you know, and and love. Ethan, coach, we talked about him a couple times, but Jaylen Tyson came out the gate just balls to the wall offensively and defensively. Um, that energy seemed like it was contagious, particularly on the defensive end. He’s said that he would willingly claim the villain role if it was necessary for this team. Um, I love it. What do you think about that and just his performance tonight on both ends? I love it. I love it. I mean, I I you know, we’re um, you know, this is how you build trust too, right? like you know you know when he you know he’s doing it um you know at this level you know at the NBA level summer league’s great workouts are great but um he’s building trust with his teammates which is the most important thing he’s building trust with the coaching staff um so man we we can really take that and you know everybody’s healthy where where does he fit in you know is it you know ninth man you know it’s that that’s an important role especially when when the when the playoffs come that that role is huge. Um, but I’m I’m um thrilled with the way he he’s playing. We you know, we we sat him out for a few minutes and it was like, you know, when you start saying we got to get that kid back in the game, you know, you know, you got something. So that that’s two games in a row where he’s really really played well. At the beginning of the third quarter, it felt like you guys were playing exactly how you guys want to be playing up and down floor defensively translating to offense. Is that the team that this team That was it. we had a we had a flash of of kind of the you know Cavs Cavs identity um and um you know unfortunately we couldn’t you know we again we made substitution is I you know I don’t I don’t think the subs were bad I think what happens is you know guys just get out of their role right it’s it’s everyone gets knocked up a notch and it’s like well now you know um even Dean Wade not not to make excuses for him but now he’s got to be more of a playmaker and drive it where we’re, you know, and with our normal team, he’s he’s normally just just moving it. So, everyone just gets shifted and I think that’s where it got funky when we started to make um make substitutions there in that that second half and and in the first half Kevin Ethan kind of hit where I was going to go, but just to piggy back off of the JT and how he played so aggressively on both ends of the floor, do you think obviously it’s not ideal to have some of the top guys out, but do you think that the circumstances allow for these younger guys to step in with more confidence? They’re a little more relaxed. Unfortunately, you know, these are how you discover you discover things through injuries. It’s it’s like the the history of the NBA and and um you know, if he’s the ninth man and playing eight minute or you know, 10 minutes, 2 minutes, 5 minute stints, it’s it’s tough to play that. Now, he’s just out. He knows he’s out there. He knows he can make mistakes. He knows I’m not going to take him out. Um and like I said, I think I think building confidence with the vets. um you know they’re already you know whispering this guy this guy can really help us. So um you know it’s it’s it’s a it’s a real positive you we we hate losing you know um you know not not thrilled we didn’t come out with a win but um you know thrilled we’re we’re discovering things about our our roster. And then did we talk about Craig Porter Jr.’s vertical enough because he had that chase down LeBron block and then uh I think it was the Pistons he had like seven rebounds. He really like jumps. He’s got great He’s got great lift and he gets up quicker than you think. I I think when Kobe scattered what did he lead the like led the nation in blocks. So there you go. Like he’s got a knack he’s got a knack of getting up the you know getting getting off the floor getting off the floor quick. Um, I I’m h I’m I’m I’m really happy with him. Um, he he’s he’s doing everything we ask. And again, you know, we got him in a primary ball handling role. You know, a lot of times he’s out there and I think he’s handled himself well. Um, you know, and that’s not he’s usually the secondary guy and and uh but I think he’s he’s done a good job. Jackson, um, the three-point shot didn’t fall again like we’re used to. Um, is this just shot quality or is it just I think I I know in the first half our shot quality was was um and expected was super high. It probably dipped in the second. I would think it dipped in the second um you know second half. But what I did like about tonight offensive, we were driving the ball to the paint. Like, you know, I mean, before tonight, you know, we’re 29th in drives, which which is like really hurts me as a coach, like it’s part of, you know, like our our identity. So, so um we got to get in the paint with the drive. Um that’s how this league works. Um you create closeouts, get in the paint. But I I thought we um our shot quality was was pretty pretty darn good. You mentioned being to get into the paint more with drives. You have a lot of the guys who do that normally. I know. I know. How do you get guys who aren’t that’s not their primary role when a team’s fully healthy to do that? Create more closeouts. Create more closeouts with swing just swinging the ball. You know, um you know, even before the pick and roll comes, can you can you can you get a drive? Can you get by your you know, by people? Um, you know, we got to figure out a way to create advantages, but yeah, we’re a little little handicapped. Um, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse to be 29th in the league in drives. Like, we should we should be better. Um, and and um, we will be better. Like I said, it’s six games. Um, not overreacting. You have one game where your drive rate goes up, you’re, you know, in the top 15. But I don’t want to over exaggerate, but um, tonight I felt like we we we were much more aggressive. Evan was much more aggressive, you know, catching the ball and just ripping it on close outs, getting to the paint, good things happen, fouls, kick outs, you know. Last one’s I’m sure you like to see that 12 three-pointers attempted by by Dre tonight, but he got to that dribble pull up quite a few times tonight, too. Would you like to see more of that going forward? Because I feel like he’s an elite off the dribble shooter. I think for Wings, he’s in the 93rd percentile. I keep saying more more, you know, especially in transition. I love his pull-up threes off to off the dribble. Um, but listen, him, Evan, all these guy, I know, you know, I tell him like we’re we’re we we we got to continually search for better shots, better shot quality. Um, but um I I liked how aggressive he was tonight. Um 18 shots, 12 threes, beautiful. Um yeah, he you know we needed needed him to step up. He did a good job. Okay, coach. Thanks everybody.

Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach Kenny Atkinson spoke with the media following a 112-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors on October 31, 2025 at Rocket Arena.