Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been named the NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October and November, the NBA announced.
This marks the first time Atkinson has earned Coach of the Month accolades in his career. He is also the 8th coach in Cavaliers history to win the award.
Atkinson led the Cavaliers to a 17-3 record in October/November, which was the best record in the NBA and helped secure 12 wins in the month of November alone, marking the second-most wins by the Cavs in the month of November in team history (13 wins in November in 2008). The Cavaliers started the 2024-25 campaign with a franchise-best 15-0 record from October 23rd to November 17th, breaking the previous mark to start a season of 8-0 set in 1976-77. The Cavs 15-0 record also tied the 2nd-best start to a season in NBA history, with Atkinson becoming the first head coach in NBA history with an undefeated record through his first 15 games with a new team. His 15-0 mark was also the best start to a tenure with a team for any coach in NBA history, surpassing the previous mark held by Lawrence Frank, who won his first 13 games with the Nets from January 27th to February 24th, 2004. Cleveland’s 15-straight wins was also the longest winning streak in franchise history.
Cleveland led the NBA in October and November in points per game (122.4 PPG), field goal percentage (.511 FG%) and three-point percentage (.402 3FG%). The Cavaliers also ranked in the top 10 in the NBA in points per game differential (3rd, +9.8), steals per game (7th, 9.25 SPG), turnovers per game (5th-fewest, 13.1 TO), assist to turnover ratio (3rd, 2.15) and defensive rating (7th, 112.2). Offensively, Cleveland scored at least 110 points in 18 of their 20 games and scored 130 or more points six times, already setting the franchise record for games with 130 or more points in a single season (surpassing the previous record of five games with 130 or more points in 2016-17). Atkinson and the Cavaliers finished the month of November with a 10-1 record at home (2nd-best home record in the NBA) and a 7-2 record on the road (T-2nd best road record in the NBA).
