The debacle that was Monday night’s game with the Hornets didn’t look good in any way for the Cavs. None of the starters came out of it smelling like roses. The coaching staff might have looked even worse than the players did. And for the front office that put it together, they certainly take a share of it.

Across all levels of the organization, there is now pressure for Cleveland to perform. The season can quickly go awry if they don't turn it around quickly. This year’s schedule is certainly tougher than last season’s, when they went 8-4. There was a three-week stretch in 2025-26 though, then they didn’t win back-to-back contests.

Here are the folks at every level facing the most pressure.

1) Koby Altman

Of the three characters I’ll be mentioning, the Cavs GM probably faces the least. Koby Altman brought in Meleek Thomas, Peyton Watson, and Mario Hezonja this offseason, and they have all contributed. Nobody more so, perhaps, than the second-round rookie who has really emerged as a future star and potential immediate starter.

Hezonja has done some very good things for the second unit, while Watson has been blocking shots left and right. But Altman traded for James Harden a season ago and opted to pay him $97 million in guaranteed money over three seasons. At 37 years of age, The Beard isn’t holding up as well as some of the other “older” guys in the league. See below.

James Harden is 37... here is how the rotation players older than him are doing this year

DeMar DeRozan (37) -- 10 ppg, 2 rpg, 3 apg, 41% FG, 17% 3PT

Kevin Durant (38) -- 21 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg, 50% FG, 36% 3PT

Stephen Curry (38) -- 31 ppg, 4 rpg, 4 apg, 50% FG, 46% 3PT (29…

— Across The Cavs (@AcrossCavs) November 11, 2026

Since Altman makes the basketball decisions, any failures to tie right back to him. Will he lose his job? Probably not. But is there pressure that he’s facing? Oh, absolutely.

2) Kenny Atkinson

If a car sitting in the sun for three hours is hot, consider Kenny Atkinson’s seat to be approaching a temperature as hot as that. A firing might not be imminent, but it’s certainly not looking great for his long-term future in Cleveland. The ECF defeat wasn’t ideal, and the way they have started 2026-27 leaves a lot to be desired.

Atkinson has struggled with rotations, minutes distribution, and has been tossing out lineups that probably shouldn’t play together. They have been missing some key players in the form of Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Sam Merrill, and Jaylon Tyson, but still.

Players go down on every team, and they find a way. Tyrese Proctor is not a power forward, and some of the team’s guards are not built to play the small forward position.

The additional issue is an effort one. It's either they don't bring it because he doesn't command it, or he's unable to get it from them. If Cleveland doesn’t flip the narrative in the next few weeks, it could potentially get dire for Atkinson in year three.

#Cavs Kenny Atkinson:

"I want to start with the positive, and that's that last group that came in and played with the requisite energy, passion, toughness. It was really indicitive the contrast between that group and the energy our main group had." pic.twitter.com/2DEdsNEdMY

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) November 10, 2026

3) James Harden

James Harden is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and nobody will dispute that. The things he has done in his career. The way he changed the guard position while playing in Houston was exceptional. But the version of himself he is right now is without a doubt the worst of his career.

He’s struggling to get good shots on offense, while dribbling out much of the clock. The assists are at a career low, while the turnovers have stayed up. And on the defensive end, the effort on both guarding and rebounding has been lackadaisical. Everybody follows the lead of the veterans, and that is exactly what’s being seen.

James Harden. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/Z08ZE2EQIg

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 10, 2026

It isn’t helping Donovan Mitchell to be playing next to Harden, who really just can’t find much right now. The other thing is, there is technically no better playmaker on the team than him. But still, if the money is guaranteed, there’s nothing that The Beard can do.

Harden hasn’t been a reserve since he played in OKC from 2009-2012, but it might be time. He is facing all the scrutiny, and Kenny Atkinson continuing to give him 32-34 minutes just cannot happen.