Lloyd: Cavs' choice of Kenny Atkinson shows Dan Gilbert is back in charge (2024)

There is a scene early in Season 1 of HBO’s “Succession” when Logan Roy, the powerful family patriarch and CEO of a global entertainment company, returns from a medical emergency to announce at a fundraising gala that he is retaking control of his company.

“I am back,” Roy said, much to the surprise of his own family.

And so it goes with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Dan Gilbert just created his Logan Roy moment.

Before this goes any further, I absolutely believe the debate between Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego was close. They were the two names our Shams Charania reported as the most likely successors the moment J.B. Bickerstaff was fired and they remained the two front-runners throughout the process. Both candidates certainly had their supporters within the organization to be the next head coach of the Cavaliers.

But it was made equally clear to us at The Athletic that Borrego seemed to have the momentum last week. He scored well in the interview process and was the leading candidate midweek to replace Bickerstaff right up until Cavs executives met with Gilbert. Then suddenly it was Atkinson again.

The organization officially decided on Atkinson over the weekend before the news broke Monday morning.

Atkinson overachieved in Brooklyn given the state of that franchise when he took over. He has the blessing here of Donovan Mitchell —who is expected any day now to sign a lucrative extension to remain in Cleveland —and he will undoubtedly have the full support of the organization.

But let’s be real. The owner picks the coach. At least this owner does.

Gilbert is the one who aggressively pursued Tom Izzo in 2010. He’s the one who selected Byron Scott when the Izzo pursuit failed. He flew across the Atlantic to find David Blatt in 2014 and he went up the street in Michigan to hire John Beilein in 2019. Those were all Gilbert-driven selections.

So why would this one be any different?

The Cavs are pushing back on the idea that Gilbert chose Atkinson. The team insists there was never a front-runner, that Borrego and Atkinson were viewed as equals right up until the decision was made Sunday night.

And while Gilbert’s grip has certainly loosened on Cavs decision-making over the past few years, this is still his team.

The Gilbert family has endured unspeakable tragedy the last few years. Once known for his irascible nature, Dan has softened dramatically since his stroke in 2019 and the heartbreaking death of his son Nick last year.

Gilbert’s role as decision-maker was extremely limited for multiple years while he recovered physically. His wife, Jennifer, eliminated all outside distractions and insisted his health be the focal point.

His son Grant briefly took a more active role within the team. There were those around the league who believed for a number of years that Grant was the heir apparent to the Cavaliers throne. But Grant Gilbert graduated from college in just 2020. He was never overly interested in running the day-to-day operations at such a young age, and there isn’t really anyone else in the Gilbert family fit to run the team.

Gilbert has turned much of the operational control of the Cavaliers over to president of basketball operations Koby Altman and chief executive officer Nic Barlage. Both men, particularly Altman, played a prominent role in the design of the team’s new riverfront training facility, which is scheduled to open in 2027. Altman has operated in recent years with more autonomy and freedom than any Cavs executive has enjoyed in the 20 years Gilbert has owned the team.

To be clear, the choice of Atkinson is a major step forward from the nutty days of Blatt and Beilein. In both of those instances, front-office execs were left to scramble with emergency options if (when?) Gilbert’s choice imploded.

That’s why Tyronn Lue was brought in as the insurance policy to Blatt, and Bickerstaff was hired as the backup to Beilein.

This is not a repeat of that. Atkinson is a solid candidate with all of the necessary credentials. The Cavs should be improved offensively under Atkinson, who finished top 10 in pace each of his four seasons in charge. The Cavs will likely run, shoot 3s and not rely so heavily on a standard pick-and-roll offense. I liked Borrego better for the Cavs, but Atkinson is a fine choice. He may not dazzle as a big-name candidate or “win the news conference,” but the Cavs for too many years worried more about the coach’s introduction than the 10 months that followed.

If this were the full Dan Gilbert experience from 10 years ago, the Cavs might be welcoming Dan Hurley this week with a new $100 million contract.

Sanity won this week. Atkinson certainly isn’t a repeat of Blatt or Beilein, but Gilbert managed to remind everyone who is in charge. This is still his team. Logan Roy is back.

(Photo of Kenny Atkinson: Alex Goodlett / Getty Images)

Jason Lloyd is a senior columnist for The Athletic, focusing on the Browns, Cavs and Guardians. Follow Jason on Twitter @ByJasonLloyd