1990–91 Cleveland Cavaliers season
NBA professional basketball team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1990–91 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 21st season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association.[2]
| 1990–91 Cleveland Cavaliers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Lenny Wilkens |
| General manager | Wayne Embry |
| Owners | |
| Arena | Richfield Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 33–49 (.402) |
| Place | Division: 6th (Central) Conference: 10th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | |
| Radio | WWWE[1] |
Season summary
Off-season
After playing overseas in Italy the previous season, Danny Ferry made his debut in the NBA, signing a contract with the Cavaliers; the Cavaliers had acquired Ferry from the Los Angeles Clippers, who selected him as the second overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft.[3][4] During the off-season, the team signed free agent Gerald Paddio.[5]
Regular season
With the addition of Ferry, the Cavaliers lost their first two games of the regular season, but then won six of their next seven games, and held a 9–7 record at the end of November. However, after only just 16 games, Mark Price sustained a torn ACL in his left knee, and was out for the remainder of the season,[6][7][8] while sixth man Hot Rod Williams only played just 43 games due to a left foot injury.[9][10][11] In December, the team re-signed free agent Darnell Valentine as their starting point guard in Price's absence,[12][13] and also signed undrafted rookie small forward Henry James.[14]
Without Price and Williams, and after a 10–8 start to the season, the Cavaliers struggled falling below .500 in winning percentage, losing 17 of their next 18 games, posting a six-game losing streak in December, and then posting an 11-game losing streak between December and January, as the team held a 15–32 record at the All-Star break.[15] However, the team played above .500 for the remainder of the season, winning eight of their eleven games in April, including a four-game winning streak to close the season. The Cavaliers finished in sixth place in the Central Division with a disappointing 33–49 record, and failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs.[16]
Brad Daugherty averaged 21.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, while Larry Nance averaged 19.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, and Price provided the team with 16.9 points, 10.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game. In addition, Williams provided with 11.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, while Craig Ehlo contributed 10.1 points, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and Valentine contributed 9.4 points, 5.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Meanwhile, Ferry averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, second-year forward Chucky Brown provided with 8.5 points per game, James contributed 8.1 points per game in 37 games, Paddio averaged 7.2 points per game, John Morton provided with 5.4 points and 3.7 assists per game, and Steve Kerr contributed 4.8 points and 2.3 assists per game.[17]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, Daugherty was selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team.[18][19][20] The Cavaliers finished twelfth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 623,735 at the Coliseum at Richfield during the regular season.[17][21]
Aftermath
Following the season, Valentine and Paddio were both released to free agency.
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 52 | Stefano Rusconi | Center |  Italy |
Ranger Varese |
- 1st round pick (#13) traded to Los Angeles Clippers in Danny Ferry deal.[22] Used to draft Loy Vaught.
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Chicago Bulls | 61 | 21 | .744 | — | 35–6 | 26–15 | 25–5 |
| x-Detroit Pistons | 50 | 32 | .610 | 11 | 32–9 | 18–23 | 19–11 |
| x-Milwaukee Bucks | 48 | 34 | .585 | 13 | 33–8 | 15–26 | 16–14 |
| x-Atlanta Hawks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 18 | 29–12 | 14–27 | 11–19 |
| x-Indiana Pacers | 41 | 41 | .500 | 20 | 29–12 | 12–29 | 15–15 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 33 | 49 | .402 | 28 | 23–18 | 10–31 | 11–19 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 26 | 56 | .317 | 35 | 17–24 | 9–32 | 8–22 |
- y - clinched division title
- x - clinched playoff spot
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-Chicago Bulls | 61 | 21 | .744 | – |
| 2 | y-Boston Celtics | 56 | 26 | .683 | 5 |
| 3 | x-Detroit Pistons | 50 | 32 | .610 | 11 |
| 4 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 48 | 34 | .585 | 13 |
| 5 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 44 | 38 | .537 | 17 |
| 6 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 43 | 39 | .524 | 18 |
| 7 | x-Indiana Pacers | 41 | 41 | .500 | 20 |
| 8 | x-New York Knicks | 39 | 43 | .476 | 22 |
| 9 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 33 | 49 | .402 | 28 |
| 10 | Washington Bullets | 30 | 52 | .366 | 31 |
| 11 | New Jersey Nets | 26 | 56 | .317 | 35 |
| 12 | Charlotte Hornets | 26 | 56 | .317 | 35 |
| 13 | Miami Heat | 24 | 58 | .293 | 37 |
- z - clinched division title
- y - clinched division title
- x - clinched playoff spot
Game log
| 1990–91 game log Total: 33–49 (Home: 23–18; Road: 10–31) | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December: 2–10 (home: 2–6; road: 0–4)
| ||||||||||||||||||
January: 3–11 (home: 2–3; road: 1–8)
| ||||||||||||||||||
March: 5–10 (home: 3–1; road: 2–9)
| ||||||||||||||||||
April: 8–3 (home: 6–1; road: 2–2)
| ||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–91 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 |
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Daugherty | 76 | 76 | 38.8 | 52.4 | 0.0 | 75.1 | 10.9 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 21.6 |
| Larry Nance | 80 | 78 | 36.6 | 52.4 | 25.0 | 80.3 | 8.6 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 19.2 |
| Mark Price | 16 | 16 | 35.7 | 49.7 | 34.0 | 95.2 | 2.8 | 10.4 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 16.9 |
| Hot Rod Williams | 43 | 14 | 30.1 | 46.3 | 0.0 | 65.2 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 11.7 |
| Craig Ehlo | 82 | 68 | 33.7 | 44.5 | 32.9 | 67.9 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 10.1 |
| Darnell Valentine | 65 | 60 | 28.3 | 46.4 | 24.0 | 83.1 | 2.6 | 5.4 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 9.4 |
| Danny Ferry | 81 | 2 | 20.5 | 42.8 | 29.9 | 81.6 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 8.6 |
| Chucky Brown | 74 | 51 | 20.1 | 52.4 | 0.0 | 70.1 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 8.5 |
| Henry James | 37 | 4 | 13.6 | 44.1 | 40.0 | 72.2 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 8.1 |
| Gerald Paddio | 70 | 22 | 16.9 | 41.9 | 25.0 | 79.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 7.2 |
| John Morton | 66 | 2 | 18.3 | 43.8 | 33.3 | 81.3 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 5.4 |
| Steve Kerr | 57 | 4 | 15.9 | 44.4 | 45.2 | 84.9 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 4.8 |
| Winston Bennett | 27 | 13 | 12.4 | 37.4 | 0.0 | 74.5 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 4.3 |
| Mike Woodson | 4 | 0 | 11.5 | 21.7 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 2.8 |
| Derrick Chievous | 18 | 0 | 6.1 | 37.0 | 0.0 | 56.3 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.4 |
| Milos Babic | 12 | 0 | 4.3 | 31.6 | 0.0 | 58.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.6 |
Player statistics citation:[17]