1980–81 Cleveland Cavaliers season | |
---|---|
Head coach |
|
General manager | Don Delaney |
Owner(s) | Ted Stepien |
Arena | Coliseum at Richfield |
Results | |
Record | 28–54 (.341) |
Place | Division: 5th (Central) Conference: 9th (Eastern) |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | WUAB |
Radio | WWWE |
The 1980-81 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 11th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|
Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y-Milwaukee Bucks | 60 | 22 | .732 | – | 34–7 | 26–15 | 23–7 |
x-Chicago Bulls | 45 | 37 | .549 | 15.0 | 26–15 | 19–22 | 20–9 |
x-Indiana Pacers | 44 | 38 | .537 | 16.0 | 27–14 | 17–24 | 17–12 |
Atlanta Hawks | 31 | 51 | .378 | 29.0 | 20–21 | 11–30 | 9–21 |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 28 | 54 | .341 | 32.0 | 20–21 | 8–33 | 9–21 |
Detroit Pistons | 21 | 61 | .256 | 39.0 | 14–27 | 7–34 | 9–21 |
# | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
1 | z-Boston Celtics | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
2 | y-Milwaukee Bucks | 60 | 22 | .732 | 2 |
3 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
4 | x-New York Knicks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 12 |
5 | x-Chicago Bulls | 45 | 37 | .549 | 17 |
6 | x-Indiana Pacers | 44 | 38 | .537 | 18 |
7 | Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 23 |
8 | Atlanta Hawks | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
9 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 28 | 54 | .341 | 34 |
10 | New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 38 |
11 | Detroit Pistons | 21 | 61 | .256 | 41 |
Notes
1980-81 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SDC | SEA | UTA | WAS |
Atlanta | — | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–4 |
Boston | 4–2 | — | 5–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 |
Chicago | 4–2 | 1–5 | — | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 |
Cleveland | 5–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 0–5 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
Dallas | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | — | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 |
Denver | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | — | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 |
Detroit | 2–4 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 |
Golden State | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | — | 3–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 |
Houston | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | — | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 0–2 |
Indiana | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
Kansas City | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 4–2 | 0–2 | — | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 |
Los Angeles | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 5–0 | — | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
Milwaukee | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 |
New Jersey | 2–3 | 0–6 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | — | 0–6 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
New York | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 6–0 | — | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
Philadelphia | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
Phoenix | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 3–3 | 3–2 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 |
Portland | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | — | 2–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 |
San Antonio | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 3–2 | — | 4–1 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 |
San Diego | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 1–4 | — | 5–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 |
Seattle | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 1–5 | — | 4–1 | 1–1 |
Utah | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–4 | — | 0–2 |
Washington | 4–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — |
1980–81 game log Total: 28–54 (Home: 20–21; Road: 8–33) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October: 4–8 (home: 3–3; road: 1–5)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
November: 4–10 (home: 4–3; road: 0–7)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
December: 5–9 (home: 4–5; road: 1–4)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
February: 3–9 (home: 3–4; road: 0–5)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
March: 3–13 (home: 1–4; road: 2–9)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1980–81 schedule |
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mike Mitchell | 82 | 39.0 | 47.6 | 44.4 | 78.4 | 6.1 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 24.5 | |
Kenny Carr | 81 | 32.3 | 51.1 | 0.0 | 71.4 | 10.3 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 15.2 | |
Randy Smith | 82 | 26.8 | 46.6 | 3.6 | 81.5 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 14.6 | |
Roger Phegley | 82 | 27.7 | 49.1 | 28.6 | 83.9 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 14.4 | |
Mike Bratz | 80 | 32.4 | 39.0 | 33.7 | 81.1 | 2.5 | 5.7 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 10.0 | |
Richard Washington | 69 | 21.8 | 45.9 | 50.0 | 75.0 | 5.3 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 9.9 | |
Bill Laimbeer | 81 | 30.4 | 50.3 | 0.0 | 76.5 | 8.6 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 9.8 | |
Dave Robisch | 11 | 33.8 | 37.8 | 0.0 | 80.6 | 7.7 | 4.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 9.4 | |
Robert Smith | 1 | 20.0 | 40.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | |
Geoff Huston | 25 | 21.7 | 49.7 | 0.0 | 81.5 | 1.6 | 4.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 7.0 | |
Bill Robinzine | 8 | 10.5 | 43.8 | 0.0 | 62.5 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 4.1 | |
Don Ford | 64 | 15.6 | 44.6 | 0.0 | 91.7 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 3.5 | |
Chad Kinch | 29 | 8.5 | 39.6 | 0.0 | 80.0 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 2.8 | |
Mack Calvin | 21 | 6.1 | 33.3 | 20.0 | 71.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2.5 | |
Walter Jordan | 30 | 6.9 | 38.7 | 0.0 | 58.8 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 2.3 | |
John Lambert | 3 | 2.7 | 60.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | |
Jerome Whitehead | 3 | 2.7 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
Player Statistics Citation: [1]
Subtractions | ||
---|---|---|
Player | Date signed | New team |
Austin Carr | Expansion Draft May 28, 1980 | Dallas Mavericks |
The Cleveland Cavaliers are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team began play as an expansion team in 1970, along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Buffalo Braves. Home games were first held at Cleveland Arena from 1970 to 1974, followed by the Richfield Coliseum from 1974 to 1994. Since 1994, the Cavs have played home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland, which is shared with the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Dan Gilbert has owned the team since March 2005.
Austin George Carr is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known by Cleveland basketball fans as "Mr. Cavalier". He was part of the Notre Dame team which defeated the UCLA Bruins on January 19, 1971, which was UCLA's last defeat until being beaten by Notre Dame exactly three years later, breaking the Bruins' NCAA men's basketball record 88-game winning streak.
Robert "Bingo" Smith was an American professional basketball player. He played for the San Diego Rockets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the San Diego Clippers.
Benedict Jay Poquette is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he graduated from East Lansing High School and Central Michigan University. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 1977 NBA draft, and played for them from 1978–79. He also played for the Utah Jazz in 1980–83, the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1984–87, and the Chicago Bulls in 1987.
Don Delaney was an American professional basketball coach, who served as head coach and general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the early 1980s.
Joseph Tait was an American sports broadcaster who was the play-by-play announcer on radio for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and both TV and radio for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. With the exception of two seasons in the early 1980s and illness during his final season, he was the Cavaliers' radio announcer from the team's inception in 1970 through the 2010–11 season. He won the Basketball Hall of Fame 2010 Curt Gowdy Media Award.
Keith DeWayne Lee is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft later to be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. A 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) forward–center from Memphis State University, Lee played in three NBA seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Jersey Nets.
Steve Colter is an American former professional basketball player who played in eight NBA seasons for six different teams. He played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers. A 6'3" guard from New Mexico State, he was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the 1984 NBA draft.
James Bernett “Bunny” Chones is an American former professional basketball player, and current radio analyst for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Theodore John Stepien was an American businessman who owned the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1980 to 1983. Born in Pittsburgh in 1925, he became wealthy as the founder of Nationwide Advertising Service and purchased an interest in the Cavaliers on April 12, 1980. His tenure as owner of the Cavs was highly controversial, resulting in multiple coaching changes and poor performances by the team, and his management decisions ultimately led the NBA to create what is known as the "Ted Stepien rule" to restrict how teams can trade draft picks. A December 6, 1982 article in The New York Times described the Cavaliers during Stepien's ownership as "the worst club and most poorly run franchise in professional basketball." After selling his interest in the Cavaliers in 1983, he continued to be involved in professional basketball, owning teams in the Continental Basketball Association and the Global Basketball Association. Later in life he founded the United Pro Basketball League, along other business ventures in the Cleveland area. He died in 2007.
Chadwick Oliver Kinch was an American professional basketball player. He was a 6'4" 190 lb (86 kg) shooting guard and played collegiately at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte after starring at Perth Amboy High School in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, his place of birth.
The 1996–97 NBA season was the 27th season of the National Basketball Association in Cleveland, Ohio. In the 1996 NBA draft, the Cavaliers selected Ukrainian center Vitaly Potapenko out of Wright State University with the 12th overall pick, and Lithuanian center Zydrunas Ilgauskas with the 20th overall pick. However, Ilgauskas would miss the entire season with a broken bone in his right foot. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Mark West. The Cavaliers started their season winning nine of their first twelve games, but after a 21–10 start, they lost six straight games in January while losing 11 of their next 14 games. The team played above .500 for the entire season, holding a 25–22 record at the All-Star break, but started to struggle down the stretch, losing 10 of their 16 games in March. On the final day of the regular season on April 20, 1997, the Cavaliers faced the Washington Bullets at the Gund Arena, as both teams were fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bullets won 85–81 as the Cavs missed the playoffs, finishing 5th in the Central Division with a 42–40 record. The Cavaliers had the fifth best team defensive rating in the NBA.
The 1995–96 NBA season was the 26th season of the National Basketball Association in Cleveland, Ohio. During the off-season, the Cavaliers acquired All-Star guard, and three-point specialist Dan Majerle from the Phoenix Suns, and acquired 2-time Slam Dunk champion Harold Miner from the Miami Heat. After the first two games, Tyrone Hill was seriously injured in a car accident and missed 38 games, as the Cavs struggled losing their first seven games of the season. However, Hill returned in the second half of the season playing off the bench, being replaced by Michael Cage as the team's starting center. The Cavaliers played above .500 for the remainder of the season, holding a 26–20 record at the All-Star break, posting a 10–2 record in February, and finishing 3rd in the Central Division with a 47–35 record.
The 1991–92 NBA season was the 22nd season of the National Basketball Association in Cleveland, Ohio. During the off-season, the Cavaliers signed free agent John Battle, then later on re-signed former Cavs forward Mike Sanders in March after being released by the Indiana Pacers. After two straight seasons of injuries, the Cavaliers would finally play the entire season without any significant loss of manpower. After a 13–9 start to the season, the team posted an 11-game winning streak, and held a 31–14 record at the All-Star break. The Cavaliers finished the season 2nd in the Central Division with a 57–25 record, and tying the franchise high set in the 1988–89 season. On December 17, 1991, the Cavaliers set an NBA record by winning with the second largest margin of victory of any game defeating the Miami Heat at home, 148–80.
Kenneth Lee Higgs Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who played three seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets. He is a 6'0" (183 cm) 180 lb (81.5 kg) point guard and he played collegiately at Louisiana State University. Higgs was selected by the Cavaliers with the 13th pick in the third round in the 1978 NBA draft. He shares the Southeastern Conference single-game assists record.
Bruce Flowers is an American former professional basketball player. At a height of 2.04 m tall, he played as a power forward. Flowers is one of the few American players to have won all three of the different major European titles during his playing era, meaning the EuroLeague, as well as the now defunct FIBA Saporta Cup and FIBA Korać Cup competitions.
Edmund Lawrence was an American professional basketball player. He played as a center for one season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Detroit Pistons during the 1980–81 season. He attended McNeese State University where he was selected in the fifth round of the 1976 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was waived by them before seeing playing time. Lawrence signed with the San Antonio Spurs after being placed on waivers by Cleveland. His tenure in San Antonio did not last long as he was again waived before the start of the 1980–81 season.
The Bulls–Cavaliers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The teams have played each other since the Cavaliers joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970, but the rivalry didn't begin in earnest until the Bulls drafted Michael Jordan with the third overall pick in 1984. After Jordan would go on to the Washington Wizards and eventually retire, the rivalry died down, but when Cleveland picked LeBron James with the first selection in 2003, the rivalry heated up again.