Cavs Secure Former NBA Player DeMarre Carroll as Assistant Coach
After a short time without a head coach, the Cleveland Cavaliers now have added a former NBA forward DeMarre Carroll to their staff. He is set to become one of the assistant coaches under Kenny Atkinson, the head coach of Carroll’s team, and this will be a dream come true for DeMarre Carroll having practiced basketball for 11 seasons and working as an assistant coach in NBA teams.
DeMarre Carroll’s Coaching Journey
Sources confirmed to Cleveland that DeMarre Carroll with past employment at assisting the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers will now take up employment at the Cavaliers. Carroll has also coached Jordan Ott, who has been recently hired by Atkinson to join his coaching staff as one of the assistants.
Atkinson and DeMarre Carroll relate in some way in that they were known to each other long before the guy joined the Carrier Dome team. He spent two seasons paired with Atkinson for the Brooklyn Nets in which he was a borderline starter and also offered guidance to the future Cavaliers players Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen. Also, Atkinson’s team involvement in Carroll playing for the Atlanta Hawks during his time as an assistant trainer under Mike Budenholzer.
Carroll has been in the NBA for a total of 11 seasons, and in that time, he has switched sides 8 different times, which is quite astounding, more so, he has an average career point score of 8. 9 points and 4. 2 rebounds per game. Carroll, a seasoned tactician noted for his great defensive skills, will greatly boost Cleveland’s coaching bench with his experience.
DeMarre Carroll and Ott will play for Cleveland’s Summer League team which is based in Las Vegas and will begin on July 12. Atkinson is joining Cleveland Cavaliers as the head coach after signing a new managerial contract which will span for five years and is in the process of recruiting a new team of assistants that share his vision for the team.
Atkinson’s Vision
During his introduction as head coach, Atkinson emphasized the importance of his coaching staff in driving the team forward. “Me and my staff are going to figure out what fits best,” Atkinson said.
“There’s a lot of good things in place. There’s a great basketball identity in place, a great defensive identity. So we’re going to have to figure out where are we winning on the margins. What are the margins? Where can we get better? It starts with if every guy gets a little bit better, every individual gets a little bit better, that’s how you can make the next step. I think we’ll have a strong staff that’ll make the tactical adjustments that we need to make to move this thing forward.”
The additions of Carroll and Ott mark the beginning of Atkinson’s efforts to create a cohesive and effective coaching team. As the Cavaliers prepare for the NBA upcoming season, the new coaching staff will play a crucial role in implementing Atkinson’s strategies and helping the team improve on both ends of the floor.
