Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson recently broke down what’s been clicking for Donovan Mitchell & Darius Garland as a backcourt this year (first time making All-Star Game together).
(via Cleveland Cavaliers):
“I think they’ve gotten on the same page from a personal level. There’s a famous they kinda talked it out, talked some issues out early. And then I think where we’ve helped them is getting them stuff earlier in our offense, right? It kinda felt like last year they were getting those kinda grenades at the end of the shot clock. We’d work it, kinda pass it around, and, ‘Oh, 8 seconds left. And now, they’ve gotta go make a play.’ So we’ve tried to move their possessions earlier in the shot clock. But it’s really a matter of their chemistry together, and they really have kinda great synergy now. We messed around with their stints too, like who they’re playing with. Donovan’s playing with Evan [Mobley] more. Darius is playing with J.A. (Jarrett Allen), gives him a lob threat. So, I think that’s helped too.”
