Atkinson’s coaching position is reportedly in jeopardy! Last season, he was named Coach of the Year and had the backing of the Cavaliers’ owner.

On December 22nd Beijing time, as reported by Stein, due to the Cavaliers’ recent slump and their current mediocre 15-14 record, there are already whispers in the coaching community that Kenny Atkinson’s position is under serious threat.

In Atkinson’s debut season with the Cavaliers, he guided the team to the top regular-season record in the Eastern Conference. However, after a second-round playoff exit and a sluggish start to this season, dissatisfaction within Cleveland has been steadily mounting.

Sources say that team owner Dan Gilbert is “extremely displeased” with the recent performance, which has intensified concerns about Atkinson’s coaching future. The Cavaliers aimed to compete for the top spot in the East this season against the New York Knicks, but they have lost 8 of their last 11 games, sliding into the play-in tournament zone and suffering multiple defeats against lower-ranked teams.

However, an insider told Stein that Gilbert’s anger is unlikely to lead to a swift coaching change. The source noted that during the hiring process, Gilbert was one of Atkinson’s strongest supporters, choosing him over James Borrego, who is now the interim head coach of the Pelicans.

Atkinson, 58, has coached two teams. During his four years with the Nets, he posted a regular-season record of 118-190 (38.3% win rate) and a playoff record of 1-4 (20%). This is his second year with the Cavaliers, where he has coached 111 regular-season games with a 79-32 record (71.2%) and a playoff record of 5-4 (55.6%). Having been named Coach of the Year last season, will Atkinson be fired this season? Only time will tell.