Donovan Mitchell Dispels Rumors He Pushed Cavs to Fire Bickerstaff, Hire Atkinson

The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a scorching start under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, but star guard Donovan Mitchell isn't taking credit for the move.

While speaking to The Athletic's Sam Amick, Mitchell pushed back on the narrative that he was responsible for the Cavs firing former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff after last season and replacing him with Atkinson.

"I wanted the organization to make that (coaching) decision," Mitchell said. "Obviously I know people probably think I f--king did all of it, but at the end of the day, I trust in (Cavs general manager) Koby (Altman). I trust in the front office to be like, 'All right, what's the decision?' And then you figure out what the future looks like."

Atkinson has led Cleveland to a 17-1 start, the best record in the NBA. Mitchell leads the team with 24.4 points per game while also adding 4.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

In four-plus seasons under Bickerstaff, the Cavs made two playoff appearances and never advanced past the second round. Mitchell played over 35 minutes per game in his two years with Bickerstaff at the helm, leading to concerns about his usage after he sustained injuries. This season, he's playing a career-low 31.2 minutes per game while shooting a career-high 41.1 percent from three-point range.

Bickerstaff is now with the rebuilding Detroit Pistons and has the team off to an 8-11 start, so it appears that the changes have worked out for all sides.

Mitchell and the Cavs will be going for their third straight win when they meat the Atlanta Hawks (7-11) on Wednesday night.