The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2025-26 season with major expectations after reshaping the roster around Donovan Mitchell and midseason addition James Harden. Now, with Cleveland heading into a decisive Game 7 against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals, questions are already emerging about head coach Kenny Atkinson and his future with the franchise.
NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson appeared on the BIGPLAY Cleveland Show and suggested there is growing pressure surrounding Atkinson despite the Cavaliers still being alive in the postseason.
“The players really respect their coach,” Robinson said. “And the organization, the coach and their star player are in lockstep with one another. And I think that that is good. But I hope for Kenny’s sake that they are able to make it to the next round because I hear things.”
Robinson did not expand further on what he has heard internally, but the comments immediately added intrigue to Cleveland’s offseason outlook. The Cavaliers finished the regular season 52-30 and advanced past the Toronto Raptors in seven games during the first round before facing the top-seeded Pistons in the conference semifinals.
The pressure attached to Cleveland’s postseason run increased after the front office traded for James Harden to ease the offensive burden on Donovan Mitchell. Harden averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists in 26 regular-season games with Cleveland, then followed that with 20.9 points and 6.2 assists through the playoffs entering Game 7.
Robinson defended Harden’s impact and explained why he believes the former MVP changed Cleveland’s ceiling.
“I think James Harden coming to the Cleveland Cavaliers was exactly what they needed,” Robinson said. “They needed a playmaker.”
The insider also compared Mitchell’s situation to Dwyane Wade during the Miami Heat’s championship years, arguing that Cleveland finally added another high-level creator capable of reducing Mitchell’s workload late in games.
The Cavaliers have relied heavily on Mitchell throughout the postseason. The All-Star guard averaged 25.6 points in the playoffs entering Sunday while carrying one of the league’s largest offensive responsibilities. Robinson said the addition of Harden, combined with Cleveland’s frontcourt pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, created a roster capable of competing deep into May.
Still, inconsistency has followed Cleveland throughout the playoffs. The Cavaliers survived a seven-game series against Toronto before splitting the first six games against Detroit. Cleveland also struggled on the road during stretches of the postseason, including a 115-94 loss in Game 6 that forced the deciding matchup.
Robinson suggested chemistry remains part of the challenge because several key rotation players arrived during the season instead of building continuity during summer workouts and training camp.
“I think that teams that make trades at deadlines don’t have training camp, don’t have summer workouts to build upon,” Robinson said.
Whether Atkinson remains fully secure could depend on how Cleveland responds in Game 7 and whether the franchise reaches the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in the Mitchell era. Robinson’s comments added another layer of pressure to a postseason already carrying major implications for the Cavaliers’ present and future.
