1987–88 Cleveland Cavaliers season
NBA professional basketball team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1987–88 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 18th season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association.[2]
| 1987–88 Cleveland Cavaliers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Lenny Wilkens |
| General manager | Wayne Embry |
| Owners | |
| Arena | Richfield Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 42–40 (.512) |
| Place | Division: 5th (Central) Conference: 6th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Bulls 2–3) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WUAB |
| Radio | WWWE[1] |
Season summary
Off-season
The Cavaliers received the seventh overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft, and selected point guard Kevin Johnson from the University of California.[3][4][5] During the off-season, the team acquired second-year guard Dell Curry from the Utah Jazz.[6][7][8]
For the season, the Cavaliers redesigned their home and road uniforms. The white home uniforms featured a blue, white and orange trim, while the color of the team nickname "Cavs", and jersey numbers were changed from orange to blue; the road uniforms were also changed from orange to blue.[9][10] The team's new home uniforms would remain in use until 1994, while the new road uniforms would last until 1989, where the team nickname would be replaced with the city name "Cleveland" on the front on their jerseys.
Regular season
With the addition of Johnson and Curry, the Cavaliers struggled with a 3–8 start to the regular season, but soon recovered and played above .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, holding a 23–22 record at the All-Star break.[11] At mid-season, the team traded Johnson along with Tyrone Corbin, and Mark West to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for All-Star forward Larry Nance, and Mike Sanders.[12][13][14] Despite a six-game losing streak between February and March, the Cavaliers won 11 of their final 13 games of the season, finishing in fifth place in the Central Division with a 42–40 record, and earning the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.[15]
Second-year star Brad Daugherty averaged 18.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, while Nance averaged 16.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in 27 games after the trade, and second-year guard Mark Price showed improvement becoming the team's starting point guard, averaging 16.0 points and 6.0 assists per game. In addition, second-year guard Ron Harper contributed 15.4 points, 4.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game, but only played 57 games due to a left ankle injury,[16][17][18] and second-year forward Hot Rod Williams provided the team with 10.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Off the bench, Curry contributed 10.0 points and 1.2 steals per game, while starting small forward Phil Hubbard averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and Craig Ehlo provided with 7.1 points and 2.6 assists per game.[19]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, Daugherty was selected for the 1988 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his first ever All-Star appearance.[20][21][22] Meanwhile, Price participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, and Harper was selected to participate in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, but withdrew due to injury.[23][24] Price also finished in third place in Most Improved Player voting,[25] while head coach Lenny Wilkens finished tied in sixth place in Coach of the Year voting.[25]
The Cavaliers finished twelfth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 504,847 at the Coliseum at Richfield during the regular season.[19][26]
NBA playoffs
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1988 NBA playoffs, the Cavaliers faced off against the 3rd–seeded Chicago Bulls, who were led by All-Star guard, Most Valuable Player, and Defensive Player of the Year, Michael Jordan, Charles Oakley and Sam Vincent. The Cavaliers lost the first two games to the Bulls on the road at the Chicago Stadium, but managed to win the next two games at home, which included a Game 4 win over the Bulls at the Coliseum at Richfield, 97–91 to even the series.[27][28][29] However, the Cavaliers lost Game 5 to the Bulls at the Chicago Stadium, 107–101, thus losing in a hard-fought five-game series.[30][31][32]
Aftermath
Following the season, Curry was left unprotected in the 1988 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets expansion team.[33][34][35]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Kevin Johnson | Guard |  United States |
California |
| 2 | 41* | Kannard Johnson | Forward | United States |
Western Kentucky |
| 3 | 52 | Donald Royal | Forward | United States |
Notre Dame |
| 4 | 75 | Chris Dudley | Center | United States |
Yale |
| 4 | 80** | Carven Holcombe | Guard | United States |
TCU |
| 5 | 98 | Carl Lott | Guard | United States |
TCU |
| 6 | 121 | Harold Jensen | Guard | United States |
Villanova |
| 7 | 144 | Michael Foster | Guard | United States |
South Carolina |
- 2nd round pick (#29) traded to Portland in Linton Townes deal.[36] Used to draft Lester Fonville.
*2nd round pick acquired from Milwaukee in Paul Thompson deal.[37]
**5th round pick acquired from Indiana in Ron Anderson deal.[38]
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Detroit Pistons | 54 | 28 | .659 | – | 34–7 | 20–21 | 20–10 |
| x-Chicago Bulls | 50 | 32 | .610 | 4 | 30–11 | 20–21 | 16–13 |
| x-Atlanta Hawks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 4 | 30-11 | 20-21 | 16–13 |
| x-Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 12 | 30–11 | 12–29 | 13–17 |
| x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 12 | 31–10 | 11–30 | 11–19 |
| Indiana Pacers | 38 | 44 | .463 | 16 | 25–16 | 13–28 | 13–17 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-Boston Celtics | 57 | 25 | .695 | – |
| 2 | y-Detroit Pistons | 54 | 28 | .659 | 3 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Bulls | 50 | 32 | .610 | 7 |
| 4 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 7 |
| 5 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 15 |
| 6 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 15 |
| 7 | x-Washington Bullets | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 |
| 8 | x-New York Knicks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 |
| 9 | Indiana Pacers | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 |
| 10 | Philadelphia 76ers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 21 |
| 11 | New Jersey Nets | 19 | 63 | .232 | 38 |
Notes
- z, y – division champions
- x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
vs. Eastern Conference
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vs. Atlantic Division
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vs. Central Division
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vs. Western Conference
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vs. Midwest Division
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vs. Pacific Division
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Game log
Regular season
| 1987–88 game log Total: 42–40 (home: 31–10; road: 11–30) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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November: 3–8 (home: 2–4; road: 1–4)
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December: 10–7 (home: 6–2; road: 4–5)
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January: 9–6 (home: 7–1; road: 2–5)
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February: 7–8 (home: 5–1; road: 2–7)
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March: 5–9 (home: 4–2; road: 1–7)
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April: 9–2 (home: 7–0; road: 2–2)
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| 1987–88 schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playoffs
| 1988 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eastern Conference First Round: 2–3 (home: 2–0; road: 0–3)
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| 1988 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player stats
| 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 |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Daugherty | 79 | 78 | 37.4 | 51.0 | 0.0 | 71.6 | 8.4 | 4.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 18.7 |
| Larry Nance | 27 | 26 | 33.6 | 52.6 | 0.0 | 83.0 | 7.9 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 16.2 |
| Mark Price | 80 | 79 | 32.8 | 50.6 | 48.6 | 87.7 | 2.3 | 6.0 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 16.0 |
| Ron Harper | 57 | 52 | 32.1 | 46.4 | 15.0 | 70.5 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 15.4 |
| Hot Rod Williams | 77 | 50 | 27.4 | 47.7 | 0.0 | 75.6 | 6.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 10.9 |
| Dell Curry | 79 | 8 | 19.0 | 45.8 | 34.6 | 78.2 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 10.0 |
| Mark West | 54 | 12 | 21.9 | 57.6 | 0.0 | 62.1 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 8.5 |
| Phil Hubbard | 78 | 59 | 20.9 | 48.9 | 0.0 | 74.9 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 8.4 |
| Tyrone Corbin | 54 | 4 | 21.3 | 49.1 | 0.0 | 78.6 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 7.3 |
| Kevin Johnson | 52 | 3 | 20.1 | 46.0 | 22.2 | 82.1 | 1.4 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 7.3 |
| Craig Ehlo | 79 | 27 | 21.6 | 46.6 | 34.4 | 67.4 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 7.1 |
| Mike Sanders | 24 | 11 | 17.4 | 53.8 | 0.0 | 87.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 6.8 |
| Chris Dudley | 55 | 1 | 9.3 | 47.4 | 0.0 | 56.3 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 3.1 |
| Johnny Rogers | 24 | 0 | 7.0 | 42.6 | 0.0 | 76.9 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.6 |
| Kent Benson | 2 | 0 | 6.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 |
| Kevin Henderson | 5 | 0 | 4.0 | 40.0 | 0.0 | 41.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Kannard Johnson | 4 | 0 | 3.0 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Price | 5 | 5 | 41.0 | 56.7 | 41.7 | 96.0 | 3.6 | 7.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 21.0 |
| Ron Harper | 4 | 4 | 33.5 | 47.6 | 0.0 | 68.8 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 17.8 |
| Larry Nance | 5 | 5 | 40.0 | 53.1 | 0.0 | 88.9 | 7.2 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 16.8 |
| Brad Daugherty | 5 | 5 | 40.8 | 46.0 | 0.0 | 67.7 | 9.2 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 15.8 |
| Mike Sanders | 5 | 5 | 26.8 | 53.8 | 0.0 | 80.0 | 5.0 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 12.8 |
| Hot Rod Williams | 5 | 0 | 26.6 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 46.2 | 5.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 9.2 |
| Craig Ehlo | 5 | 1 | 25.6 | 42.5 | 0.0 | 62.5 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 8.8 |
| Chris Dudley | 4 | 0 | 6.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Dell Curry | 2 | 0 | 8.5 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Phil Hubbard | 3 | 0 | 7.0 | 16.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
Player statistics citation:[19]