Kenny Atkinson Reveals Interesting Update on Backup Point Guard Position

After moving veteran guard Dennis Schröder in the massive 5-team trade that brought in Peyton Watson, the Cavaliers are light on proven depth behind James Harden and Donovan Mitchell at guard, especially at the point.

As of right now, the franchise is likely to bank on internal development to occur and that means relying on its youth to take the next step. That is one possible route the team can take.

And while it would be a reasonable assumption that Craig Porter immediately steps into the role that Schröder vacated, it’s entirely possible that Cleveland experiments with several looks in the early going to see what works best.

Kenny Atkinson seems to recognize the need for viable minutes from that rotational spot but isn’t limiting his options to traditional point guard play. When asked about the competition occurring at backup point, he was quoted with the following:

That that person doesn't necessarily have to be a point guard. It's got to be a ball handler, your second secondary ball handler, but usually, Don or James will be handling it most of the time, and then you got Evan as your kind of third ball handler. So, I don't think we should look it in look at in those strict terms.
Atkinson on backup PG battle

While it can be easy to write off statements like this as “coach speak” or preseason hoopla, there could be some truth interlaced here. The Cavs don’t exactly have proven depth at backup point, so why wouldn’t they elect to experiment? Why wouldn’t they keep all options open?

It’s possible that Atkinson is simply taking this stance to subtly prepare the fanbase for a non-conventional approach to those minutes. It’s also possible that he’s just not ready to name the winner of that role yet.

Cleveland’s head man went on to state the importance of the defensive end regarding this topic.

One of the things that would be important for that position is, who can hold up defensively. Who's ever in that position, you got to grab that advantage from the defensive side because I think we'll have enough ball handling with the guys we have in there with them.
Atkinson on defense being a factor

Atkinson went a step further after being prompted and issued a list of priorities and important factors that could help lead him to a decision.

Obviously shooting is a part of it because you have to play off the ball and then maybe secondary ball handling is third if I was to do a priority list but defense to see who can who can guard their position.
Kenny Atkinson

Taking this at face value is up to the viewer. That said, it's very possible that we see him experiment. After all, the game is changing. There are non-traditional playmakers, facilitators, and floor generals are all over the NBA.

Jalen Johnson, LeBron, SGA, ETC. Heck, Nikola Jokic, a center, is widely regarded as the NBA's preeminent facilitator. He handles the lion’s share of his team's touches, and his usage (32.5% in 2025-26) is sky high. All this to say, that if Cleveland feels it can get a more balanced lineup out of bucking trends at backup point, by all means…

Could we see Evan Mobley (21.8% usage last season) operating with the ball in his hands more in non-Harden minutes? Could Jaylon Tyson be given more on-ball reps in lineups that don’t feature a true point? There is a valid case for it after Tyson showed promise and synergy with the bigs as a pick-and-roll ballhandler.

Could a rookie Meleek Thomas be thrown into the proverbial fire after dominating the competition during summer league play, both as a creator and playmaker?

Or perhaps, Tyrese Proctor is given an opportunity after a rookie campaign that flashed his potential as a viable off-ball shot, disruptive defender, and creation out of the pick-in-role (71st percentile).

I wouldn’t even put it past Atkinson to toy with the idea of placing the ball in Mario Hezonja’s hands in specific lineup combinations. But at the end of the day, is any of this a bad thing? After all, versatility is vital in the modern NBA.

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