Getty

Kenny Atkinson thinks there should be a rule change for challenges.

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson suggested an NBA rule change for successful challenges that rewards teams who get them right.

Currently, NBA teams get one coach’s challenge per game, and if they are successful, they are rewarded a second challenge. However, Atkinson believes that teams should be rewarded for successful challenges, so if you get your challenges right, you should keep getting them until you are wrong.

“Definitely (the coach’s challenge rule should be changed). Shouldn’t you be rewarded for good challenging behaviour? Sure, I think everybody’s talked about that. I think that would be a great rule change. I’m sure the (NBA) Competition Committee will look at it. It just makes so much sense,” Atkinson said.

History of the NBA Challenge Rule

The NBA instituted its coach’s challenge rule during the 2019-2020 season, allowing coaches to challenge one call per game. However, in 2023-2024, the NBA tweaked the rule, allowing coaches to earn a second challenge if they got their first one right. Imagine if the NBA had never changed the original rule and teams were stuck with only one challenge per game? They tweaked it then, and they should consider tweaking it once again.

When you think about it, the coach’s challenge rule in the NBA is still in its infancy, so the league should certainly consider making changes to it going forward, just as they have in the past. Atkinson’s suggestion that teams keep getting their challenge back if they are successful at them makes a lot of sense, as teams should be rewarded if they can have calls successfully overturned.

In the MLB, this is the first year with the ABS challenge system. Each team gets two challenges to start a baseball game, but if you are successful with them, you don’t lose your ABS challenge. The NBA should really consider adopting the same rule for the coach’s challenge rule, as teams and coaches should keep getting the opportunity to keep challenging if they get them right.

Cleveland Cavaliers Head Back Home For Must-Win Game

With the Cavaliers and Raptors now tied up 2-2 after the Raptors won Game 4 by a score of 93-89 on Sunday, the teams head back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Wednesday. This is a must-win game for the Cavaliers, who simply cannot afford to let the Raptors steal a game on the road and then head home for Game 6 with a 3-2 series lead.

For the Cavaliers, they entered this playoff series as huge favorites to advance, but the Raptors have fought hard and shown that they are a solid team that shouldn’t be underestimated. On paper, the Cavaliers have the deeper and more talented team, but the Raptors have the youth on their side, and they appear to be the more physical team as well. With this series now a best-of-three, it will be interesting to see what adjustments the Cavaliers made in Game 5 to ensure they get the win and thus have two cracks in Game 6 and Game 7 to win the series and advance.