Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is a Michigan State University graduate and a major booster of the men’s basketball program. And that connection appears to have bled into the Cavaliers’ search for a new head coach, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who indicated Izzo may be backing former Brooklyn Nets head coach and current Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson.
“Potentially boosting Atkinson’s chances: Legendary Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is said to be an Atkinson fan,” Stein reported on his ‘The Stein Line’ Substack. “Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, of course, is a well-known Izzo fan who graduated from Michigan State and is said to have resumed significant involvement in team affairs compared to recent years.”
https://cavsnation.com/nba-rumors-tom-izzo-factor-cavs-coaching-search
by EnemySoil
11 Comments
I like the face the Atkinson has been under Kerr for a while now, Mike Brown seems to have come out a better coach with the Kings after being with Kerr.
From the outside just that fact alone makes me want Atkinson to be the next coach
Please, just no. No. Please.
I like Atkinson’s pedigree. I’m not saying he’s a horse or something. That wouldn’t work on a practical level. A horse couldn’t coach a team because he wouldn’t be able to stand on the sideline facing the court. Because the back-half of the horse would be sticking out into the first 3 rows. And he wouldn’t be able to stand sideways because he wouldn’t be able to see the whole court, unless he was near the sideline, but that’s outside the coaching box. And I don’t think you can change the rule on where the coaching box is just because of one horse. I like Atkinson because he’s not a horse and he’s not going to have any of these issues.
I guess it wouldn’t be a Cavs coaching search without mentioning Tom Izzo.
So we checked that box.
I really wish that Dan Gilbert were still in the state of recovery that allowed the FO to make decisions without him…
That headline got me. Thought Gilbert was about to do something real dumb
A pLàa
After the John Beilein fiasco? When is this organization gonna learn man
Dan Gilbert sure knows how to mess up a coaching search. Not a good sign.
I really don’t understand the Dan Gilbert hate, he’s been nothing but a great owner aside from one single mistake when LeBron left.
Are people just reading the title and thinking Izzo is now a candidate because of Gilbert? SMH 🙄