Cavaliers Notes: Kenny Atkinson chooses momentum over rest

ORLANDO, Fla. — Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson knew that the quick road trip south to play the Magic on Saturday night might be an opportune time to allow players to rest up as Cleveland was playing for the second straight night and third time in four nights. He decided against it. "I might as well be honest, I thought about (leaving some players in Cleveland)," Atkinson said. "I thought about it a couple weeks ago. But on second thought, we're in a stretch right now where we're trying to gain some momentum and it just didn't feel like the right time." The Cavaliers had won four of five coming into Saturday night's game, including two straight against Charlotte (94-87 on the road) and Sacramento (123-118 at Rocket Arena on Friday night). Atkinson said the barrage of games — Cleveland will be right back at it Monday night against the Magic at home — has forced the team to make adjustments, including preparation for games like Saturday night. "Normally we'll show the previous night's game (during film study), we'll show some clips … but not on a back-to-back," he said. "You just keep it as brief as possible and try to keep (the players) engaged. It's really about conserving your battery and trying to get enough juice to play with energy and focus." That doesn't mean Atkinson slowed down. The coach said he didn't get to sleep until 4:30 a.m. after Cleveland's win over the Kings on Friday night and the subsequent flight to Florida. "Then I got up at 7," he said. "I just had to take advantage of the weather … you don't want to miss that opportunity." MOBILE MOBLEY Atkinson used the word "epic" when discussing power forward Evan Mobley's performance against the Kings. The 7-foot, 230-pound big man scored 29 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and finished with seven assists in just under 35 minutes. "The thing that stood out most last night after watching (the game replay) was just how well he moved," Atkinson said. "It's a confidence thing with movement, too. So I think he's become more confident, more aggressive. I do think he's working on his game, refining it a little bit to stuff that fits." Atkinson has also been impressed with Mobley's emergence as a team leader on the floor. "The last thing we talked about, it was last night, was about him being out there alone without Donovan (Mitchell)," Atkinson said. "That changes things, there's a shift. It's like you're on the playground and you're playing with a bunch of younger guys and you've gotta take responsibility. So he gets that and he's just a super aware and smart, smart player." RISING UP WHILE FILLING INThe other player who received plenty of praise during Atkinson's pregame media availability was guard Jaylon Tyson, who has replaced injured point guard Darius Garland in the starting lineup. Tyson finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists against the Kings. More importantly, he led the team in minutes played with just under 36. "First off, it's really his rookie year because he really didn't get to play last year," Atkinson said. "Just the consistency … we're rolling him out there for big minutes … that's the ultimate compliment, we need him on the floor." While Tyson has done plenty to help fill the void left by Garland's absence, Atkinson said he's looking for even more from his young player. "I told him last night, 'JT, you have to create for us more. You can't just look for Donovan all the time. You're going to have to get downhill, you have to play a little pick-and-roll,' and he was great," Atkinson said. "He did that and he still did all the dirty work, so we're putting a ton on his plate. And the kid's answering the bell. It's been a revelation and I was not expecting this coming off last year." MITCHELL DOING HIS THING One of the main reasons Tyson has come into his own, according to Atkinson, is the leadership on the floor and in the locker room from Mitchell. "The most important thing with player development is veteran leadership," Atkinson said. "At the end of the day these young guys are going to listen to the best players. I don't want to discredit the coaches by any means, but that's the truth. "Donovan loves being a mentor. He's brought JT under his wing, and a few other guys, too. He cares about those guys, but he's also selfish. He knows that if they play well, it's going to help him, too." Contact Shaun Bennett at (440) 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @ShaunBennettct on X.