1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 1996–97 NBA season was the 27th season of the National Basketball Association in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] The Cavaliers started their season winning nine of their first twelve games, but later on lost six straight in January. The team played above .500 for the entire season, but started to struggle down the stretch. On the final day of the regular season, the Cavaliers faced the Washington Bullets at the Gund Arena. 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.[2] Terrell Brandon led the team in scoring, assists and steals. He was also selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, which Cleveland hosted.

1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Head coachMike Fratello
ArenaGund Arena
Results
Record42–40 (.512)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Central)
Conference: 9th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid Not Qualify
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionSportsChannel Ohio · WUAB
RadioWTAM

Following the season, Brandon and Tyrone Hill were both traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in an offseason three-team trade, Chris Mills signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics, who then traded him to the New York Knicks two months later, and Bobby Phills signed with the Charlotte Hornets.

Key Dates:

Offseason

Draft picks
Main article: 1996 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club Team
1 12* Vitaly Potapenko Center  Ukraine Wright State
1 20 Zydrunas Ilgauskas Center  Lithuania Atletas
2 56** Reggie Geary Guard  United States Arizona

*1st round pick acquired from Washington in Mark Price deal.[3]
**2nd round pick acquired from Orlando in Steve Kerr deal.[4]

Roster
Roster listing
Cleveland Cavaliers roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
PG 1 Brandon, Terrell 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Oregon
PF 35 Ferry, Danny 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Duke
PG 2 Geary, Reggie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 187 lb (85 kg) Arizona
PF 32 Hill, Tyrone 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Xavier
C 11 Ilgauskas, Zydrunas  (IN) 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) 238 lb (108 kg) Lithuania
SF 21 Lang, Antonio 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Duke
SF 33 Marshall, Donny 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Connecticut
SF 24 Mills, Chris 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Arizona
SG 14 Phills, Bobby 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Southern
C 52 Potapenko, Vitaly 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 280 lb (127 kg) Wright State
C 44 Scott, Shawnelle 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg) St. John's
SG 3 Sura, Bob 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Florida State
SG 23 Thomas, Carl  6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Eastern Michigan
C 41 West, Mark 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Old Dominion
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster

Roster Notes

Regular season

Season standings
Central Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Chicago Bulls 6913.841–39–230–1124–4
x-Atlanta Hawks 5626.6831336–520–2117–11
x-Detroit Pistons 5428.6591530–1124–1717–11
x-Charlotte Hornets 5428.6591530–1124–1714–14
Cleveland Cavaliers 4240.5122725–1617–2413–15
Indiana Pacers 3943.4763021–2018–2311–17
Milwaukee Bucks 3349.4023620–2113–2810–18
Toronto Raptors 3052.3663918–2312–296–22
1996–97 NBA East standings
# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Chicago Bulls6913.841–
2 y-Miami Heat6121.7448
3 x-New York Knicks5725.69512
4 x-Atlanta Hawks5626.68313
5 x-Detroit Pistons5428.65915
6 x-Charlotte Hornets5428.65915
7 x-Orlando Magic4537.54924
8 x-Washington Bullets4438.53725
9 Cleveland Cavaliers4240.51227
10 Indiana Pacers3943.47630
11 Milwaukee Bucks3349.40236
12 Toronto Raptors3052.36639
13 New Jersey Nets2656.31743
14 Philadelphia 76ers2260.26847
15 Boston Celtics1567.18354

Record vs. opponents
1996-97 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA VAN WAS
Atlanta —3–11–31–33–12–01–11–32–01–13–12–01–11–24–02–03–11–33–14–01–12–02–02–01–14–01–12–02–1
Boston 1–3—0–40–41–21–11–10–41–10–21–20–21–10–41–30–20–40–40–41–31–11–10–21–10–23–10–20–20–4
Charlotte 3–14–0—0–43–11–12–02–22–02–02–21–11–11–22–22–04–03–11–24–01–10–22–02–02–02–20–22–03–1
Chicago 3–14–04–0—3–12–02–03–12–01–14–02–01–12–24–02–03–12–23–04–02–02–02–02–02–03–11–12–02–1
Cleveland 1–32–11–31–3—2–01–12–21–10–23–12–01–10–42–22–04–01–32–23–01–11–12–00–20–23–11–12–01–3
Dallas 0–21–11–10–20–2—3–10–20–40–41–12–20–40–20–21–31–11–11–12–01–31–32–21–31–30–21–33–10–2
Denver 1–11–10–20–21–11–3—0–21–31–30–21–30–40–21–10–41–10–20–21–12–20–42–22–20–41–10–43–11–1
Detroit 3–14–02–21–32–22–02–0—2–01–13–12–01–10–43–12–04–01–22–22–10–21–11–12–01–13–11–12–04–0
Golden State 0–21–10–20–21–14–03–10–2—0–41–11–30–40–21–11–32–00–21–12–00–42–21–34–00–42–00–43–10–2
Houston 1–12–00–21–12–04–03–11–14–0—1–13–13–10–21–14–02–01–10–22–02–22–24–03–13–11–12–23–12–0
Indiana 1–32–12–20–41–31–12–01–31–11–1—2–01–11–32–22–02–21–31–33–01–11–11–11–11–14–00–22–01–3
L.A. Clippers 0–22–01–10–20–22–23–10–23–11–30–2—2–20–22–01–31–10–21–11–12–20–42–24–01–32–01–34–00–2
L.A. Lakers 1–11–11–11–11–14–04–01–14–01–31–12–2—1–12–03–12–01–11–12–04–01–34–02–23–11–11–34–02–0
Miami 2–14–02–12–24–02–02–04–02–02–03–12–01–1—4–01–13–11–32–23–12–01–12–02–00–23–10–22–03–1
Milwaukee 0–43–12–20–42–22–01–11–31–11–12–20–20–20–4—0–22–11–22–23–11–10–20–21–11–13–11–12–01–3
Minnesota 0–22–00–20–20–23–14–00–23–10–40–23–11–31–12–0—2–01–11–11–13–12–20–44–00–41–11–34–01–1
New Jersey 1–34–00–41–30–41–11–10–40–20–22–21–10–21–31–20–2—2–21–32–21–10–21–12–01–10–30–22–01–3
New York 3–14–01–32–23–11–12–02–12–01–13–12–01–13–12–11–12–2—3–13–21–11–12–02–00–23–01–12–04–0
Orlando 1–34–02–10–32–21–12–02–21–12–03–11–11–12–22–21–13–11–3—2–21–12–01–11–11–14–00–21–11–3
Philadelphia 0–43–10–40–40–30–21–11–20–20–20–31–10–21–31–31–12–22–32–2—1–11–10–21–10–21–30–22–01–3
Phoenix 1–11–11–10–21–13–12–22–04–02–21–12–20–40–21–11–31–11–11–11–1—1–34–03–12–20–21–32–21–1
Portland 0–21–12–00–21–13–14–01–12–22–21–14–03–11–12–02–22–01–10–21–13–1—2–24–01–30–22–24–00–2
Sacramento 0–22–00–20–20–22–22–21–13–10–41–12–20–40–22–04–01–10–21–12–00–42–2—3–11–31–10–44–00–2
San Antonio 0–21–10–20–22–03–12–20–20–41–31–10–42–20–21–10–40–20–21–11–11–30–41–3—0–41–11–31–30–2
Seattle 1–12–00–20–22–03–14–01–14–01–31–13–11–32–01–14–01–12–01–12–02–23–13–14–0—2–01–34–02–0
Toronto 0–41–32–21–31–32–01–11–30–21–10–40–21–11–31–31–13–00–30–43–12–02–01–11–10–2—1–11–12–2
Utah 1–12–02–01–11–13–14–01–14–02–22–03–13–12–01–13–12–01–12–02–03–12–24–03–13–11–1—4–02–0
Vancouver 0–22–00–20–20–21–31–30–21–31–30–20–40–40–20–20–40–20–21–10–22–20–40–43–10–41–10–4—1–1
Washington 1–24–01–31–23–12–01–10–42–00–23–12–00–21–33–11–13–10–43–13–11–12–02–02–00–22–20–21–1—

Game log
1996–97 game log
Total: 42–40 (Home: 25–16; Road: 17–24)
November: 9–5 (Home: 5–3; Road: 4–2)
December : 10–5 (Home: 8–1; Road: 2–4)
January : 5–9 (Home: 3–5; Road: 2–4)
February : 7–5 (Home: 3–2; Road: 4–3)
March : 6–10 (Home: 4–2; Road: 2–8)
April : 5–6 (Home: 2–3; Road: 3–3)
1996–97 schedule

Player stats

Note: GP= Games played; GS = Games started; MIN= Minutes; FG% = field goal %, FT% = free throw %, 3FG% = 3 point % STL= Steals; BLK = Blocks; AST = Assists; REB = Rebounds; PTS = Points

Regular Season

Playoffs

Awards and records

Transactions

References
  1. 1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers
  2. "Bullets Beat Cavs, Earn Playoff Berth". Eugene Register-Guard. 21 April 1997. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  3. O'Dell, Larry. "Price, William Mark (1964- )". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  4. "Trail Blazers Obtain Derek Anderson and Steve Kerr". Portland Trail Blazers. Archived from the original on 7 March 2005. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  5. "Strong Start Has Wadkins Hoping His Day Has Come". Los Angeles Times. September 27, 1996. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
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