Kenny Atkinson

Sam Merrill went through all of Cleveland's practice, scrimmaging included — "really good news," Kenny Atkinson said. Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who had earned a rotation spot, is out for a stretch with no return date; his spot goes to the "best player," not a like-for-like swap.

Cleveland's Kenny Atkinson said Nae'Qwan Tomlin sat out practice and Sam Merrill was limited; Khalifa Diop is "coming back from a setback." Atkinson wants a 10-man rotation, likely named only at game time: "I've made that mistake before... the guy tweaks an ankle."

Cleveland has reshuffled its guard-big pairings in preseason: James Harden now plays with Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell with Jarrett Allen. Mitchell said coach Kenny Atkinson and the players agreed it together. "I think it allows for James and Ev to grow a connection."

Jaylon Tyson's answer to a rough playoff run, per Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell: "I'm going to take a stand. I'm going to go ahead and make sure that I'm on the floor." Kenny Atkinson coaches him more positively: "If you go too far negative, he's going to start doubting."

Craig Porter Jr. has impressed Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson in preseason and earned a role. "This guy's going to be in the rotation. He's going to help us win games," Atkinson said at practice, adding Cleveland will use Porter better than it ever has.

Cleveland's Mario Hezonja has no set role yet. Kenny Atkinson wants him to "be aggressive, make plays, you know, shoot open shots," and said it's "too early" to put him in a 10-man rotation. He said Hezonja "could be really good" crashing in from the 3-point line for rebounds.

James Harden "had a full practice," Kenny Atkinson said, "so assume he's going to play and start" in Cleveland's second preseason game. Atkinson thinks everybody is available, and the Cavaliers will "increase the minutes too for our main guys."

Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell are "kind of the backup point guards for each other," Kenny Atkinson said, so the Cavaliers' backup spot "doesn't necessarily have to be a point guard." How to split them with James Harden and Jarrett Allen: "we haven't decided yet."

Three preseason games are enough to settle the Cavaliers' rotations, Kenny Atkinson said, plus another intra-squad scrimmage they'll "treat like a preseason game as much as we can." Asked who leads at backup point guard, he named no one: defense first, then shooting.

James Harden was "a little under the weather" at the Cavaliers' scrimmage in Spain and "could have easily just not played," Sam Merrill said. Harden played anyway; Merrill credited the roughly 10,000 fans, mostly kids, cheering him. Kenny Atkinson: "I don't see any slippage."

Cavaliers 4/4 Peyton Watson said he didn't choose Cleveland: as a restricted free agent, it was Denver's call to trade or keep him. He says he's fully committed. Kenny Atkinson cited 16 back-to-backs and what he believes is the league's second-hardest schedule.

Cavaliers 1/4 Kenny Atkinson said the Cavaliers have no plan to hold James Harden under 30 minutes a game: "He's such a durable athlete and he knows how to manage his body so well." Atkinson wants Jaylon Tyson and Peyton Watson guarding opponents' best players.

Cavaliers 3/4 Atkinson said Mario Hezonja is no longer just a shooting power forward: "at 250, 255 pounds, he can do much more damage in the paint." Peyton Watson sees his Cleveland role as "the anchor of our defense." Atkinson is still sorting out the bench mix.

Cavaliers 2/4 Atkinson wants more Cleveland playmakers beyond James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, urging Jaylon Tyson and Peyton Watson to be more aggressive. He also won't force-feed Evan Mobley isolations as early last season; Mobley does best in the system's flow.

On how Meleek Thomas and the other young players earn minutes, Atkinson said he looks first for "the competitive spirit," then for grasping how to play around James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, a big adjustment for players used to being the best on their team.

Cavaliers practice: Kenny Atkinson loves playing his two bigs together, calling them among his "top 4 best players," but says they can only share the floor for so long. Hence more one-big lineups, with Peyton Watson at power forward and Mario Hezonja at either forward spot.