1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers season

1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Head coachMike Fratello
General managerWayne Embry
Owners
ArenaGund Arena
Results
Record42–40 (.512)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Central)
Conference: 9th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television
RadioWTAM

The 1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 27th season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association.[1] In the 1996 NBA draft, the Cavaliers selected Ukrainian center Vitaly Potapenko out of Wright State University with the twelfth overall pick, and Lithuanian center Zydrunas Ilgauskas with the 20th overall pick;[2][3][4] however, Ilgauskas would miss the entire regular season due to a broken bone in his right foot.[5][6][7] During the off-season, the team signed free agent and former Cavaliers center Mark West.[8][9]

The Cavaliers started the regular season by 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 in winning percentage for the entire season, holding a 25–22 record at the All-Star break,[10] but started to struggle down the stretch, losing 10 of their 16 games in March.[11] On the final day of the regular season on April 20, 1997, the Cavaliers faced off against the Washington Bullets at the Gund Arena, as both teams were fighting for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference; the Bullets won the game, 85–81, as the Cavaliers missed the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1990–91 season, finishing in fifth place in the Central Division with a 42–40 record.[12][13][14]

Terrell Brandon led the team with 19.5 points, 6.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game, and also contributed 101 three-point field goals, while Chris Mills averaged 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, and Tyrone Hill provided the team with 12.9 points, 9.9 rebounds per game and shot .600 in field-goal percentage. In addition, Bobby Phills contributed 12.6 points and 1.6 steals per game, while Danny Ferry provided with 10.6 points per game, and led the Cavaliers with 114 three-point field goals. Off the bench, second-year guard Bob Sura contributed 9.2 points and 4.8 assists per game, while Potapenko averaged 5.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, and West provided with 3.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, starting at center for half of the regular season.[15]

During the NBA All-Star weekend, in which the Cavaliers hosted at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Brandon was selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his second and final All-Star appearance.[16][17][18] Meanwhile, Sura participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest,[16][19] and Potapenko was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference Rookie team.[16][20]

For the third straight season, the Cavaliers were known as a low-scoring, defensive team led by head coach Mike Fratello's slow-paced, defensive coaching style;[21][22] the team finished last in the NBA in scoring averaging 87.5 points per game, while allowing 85.6 points per game from their opponents, which was the best in the league, and also had the fifth best team defensive rating.[23][24]

On February 27, 1997, the Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls at the Gund Arena, by a low score of 73–70, in which Michael Jordan missed a three-pointer at the buzzer;[25][26][27] the Bulls, along with the Utah Jazz, led the NBA in scoring averaging 103.1 points per game, and also had the third best team defensive rating.[23][24] One month later on March 25, the Cavaliers lost to the San Antonio Spurs at the Alamodome, 64–59, in which both teams combined for a total of 123 points, and combined for 21 points alone in the fourth quarter; it was the second lowest-scoring game in NBA history at the time, and since the shot clock was introduced in the 1954–55 season.[28][29][30]

Following the season, Brandon and Hill were both traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in an off-season three-team trade,[31][32][33] while Mills signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics,[34][35][36] who then traded him to the New York Knicks two months later,[37][38][39] Phills signed with the Charlotte Hornets,[40][41][42] and West signed with the Indiana Pacers.[43][44]

Offseason

Free agents

Trades

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.[45]
**2nd round pick acquired from Orlando in Steve Kerr deal.[46]

Roster

1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
G 1 Terrell Brandon 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1970–05–20 Oregon
F 35 Danny Ferry 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1966–10–17 Duke
G 2 Reggie Geary 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 187 lb (85 kg) 1973–08–31 Arizona
C 32 Tyrone Hill 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1968–03–19 Xavier
C 11 Zydrunas Ilgauskas (IN) 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) 238 lb (108 kg) 1975–06–05 Lithuania
F 21 Antonio Lang 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1972–05–15 Duke
F 33 Donny Marshall 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1972–07–17 Connecticut
F 24 Chris Mills 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1970–01–25 Arizona
G 14 Bobby Phills 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1969–12–20 Southern
C 52 Vitaly Potapenko 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 280 lb (127 kg) 1975–03–21 Wright State
C 44 Shawnelle Scott 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1972–06–16 St. John's
G 3 Bob Sura 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1973–03–25 Florida State
G 23 Carl Thomas 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1969–10–03 Eastern Michigan
C 41 Mark West 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1960–11–05 Old Dominion
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (IN) Inactive
  • Injured

Roster
Updated: September 23, 1996

Roster Notes

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Chicago Bulls 69 13 .841 – 39–2 30–11 24–4
x-Atlanta Hawks 56 26 .683 13 36–5 20–21 17–11
x-Detroit Pistons 54 28 .659 15 30–11 24–17 17–11
x-Charlotte Hornets 54 28 .659 15 30–11 24–17 14–14
Cleveland Cavaliers 42 40 .512 27 25–16 17–24 13–15
Indiana Pacers 39 43 .476 30 21–20 18–23 11–17
Milwaukee Bucks 33 49 .402 36 20–21 13–28 10–18
Toronto Raptors 30 52 .366 39 18–23 12–29 6–22
1996–97 NBA East standings
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Chicago Bulls 69 13 .841 –
2 y-Miami Heat 61 21 .744 8
3 x-New York Knicks 57 25 .695 12
4 x-Atlanta Hawks 56 26 .683 13
5 x-Detroit Pistons 54 28 .659 15
6 x-Charlotte Hornets 54 28 .659 15
7 x-Orlando Magic 45 37 .549 24
8 x-Washington Bullets 44 38 .537 25
9 Cleveland Cavaliers 42 40 .512 27
10 Indiana Pacers 39 43 .476 30
11 Milwaukee Bucks 33 49 .402 36
12 Toronto Raptors 30 52 .366 39
13 New Jersey Nets 26 56 .317 43
14 Philadelphia 76ers 22 60 .268 47
15 Boston Celtics 15 67 .183 54

Game log

1996–97 game log
Total: 42–40 (home: 25–16; road: 17–24)
November: 9–5 (home: 5–3; road: 4–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
December : 10–5 (home: 8–1; road: 2–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
January : 5–9 (home: 3–5; road: 2–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
February : 7–5 (home: 3–2; road: 4–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
March : 6–10 (home: 4–2; road: 2–8)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
April : 5–6 (home: 2–3; road: 3–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
1996–97 schedule

Player stats

Legend
  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% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Terrell Brandon 78 78 36.8 43.8 37.3 90.2 3.9 6.3 1.8 0.4 19.5
Chris Mills 80 79 39.6 45.3 39.1 84.2 6.2 2.5 1.1 0.5 13.4
Tyrone Hill 74 70 34.9 60.0 0.0 63.3 9.9 1.2 0.9 0.4 12.9
Bobby Phills 69 65 34.4 42.8 39.4 71.8 3.6 3.4 1.6 0.3 12.6
Danny Ferry 82 48 32.1 42.9 40.1 85.1 4.1 1.8 0.7 0.4 10.6
Bob Sura 82 23 27.7 43.1 32.3 61.4 3.8 4.8 1.1 0.4 9.2
Vitaly Potapenko 80 3 15.5 44.0 50.0 73.6 2.7 0.5 0.3 0.4 5.8
Mark West 70 43 13.7 55.6 0.0 48.2 2.7 0.3 0.2 0.8 3.2
Donny Marshall 56 0 9.8 32.5 37.9 70.4 1.3 0.4 0.4 0.1 3.1
Antonio Lang 64 1 13.2 42.0 0.0 72.9 2.0 0.5 0.5 0.5 2.7
Reggie Geary 39 0 6.3 37.9 38.1 45.5 0.4 0.9 0.3 0.1 1.5
Shawnelle Scott 16 0 3.1 50.0 0.0 36.4 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 1.3
Carl Thomas 19 0 4.1 37.5 16.7 100.0 0.7 0.4 0.1 0.1 1.1

Player statistics citation:[15]

Awards and records

Awards

Records

Milestones

All-Star

Terrell Brandon - 1997 NBA All-Star Game

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Development League

References

  1. ^ 1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers
  2. ^ Heisler, Mark (June 27, 1996). "The Surprises Are Few". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Bembry, Jerry (June 27, 1996). "76ers Make Iverson the 1, Philadelphia Takes Georgetown Guard; Camby Goes Second". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  4. ^ "1996 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  5. ^ "Cleveland Rookie to Miss Camp Opening". The New York Times. September 27, 1996. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  6. ^ Walters, John (February 2, 1998). "Who Is Zydrunas Ilgauskas?". Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  7. ^ "Ilgauskas Sidelined Again by Foot Problem". United Press International. December 26, 2000. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Fischer, Bob (August 10, 1996). "Magic Acquires Spencer to Fill Gap". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  9. ^ "Transactions". Hartford Courant. August 10, 1996. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  10. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  11. ^ "1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  12. ^ "Final Day: Charlotte Slips, Washington Soars, O'Neal Misses". The New York Times. April 21, 1997. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  13. ^ Adande, J.A. (April 21, 1997). "Rebounding, with Much Emotion". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  14. ^ "Washington Bullets at Cleveland Cavaliers Box Score, April 20, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "1996–97 Cleveland Cavaliers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  16. ^ a b c Fry, Darrell (February 8, 1997). "On to the Next Stage". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  17. ^ "1997 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  18. ^ "1997 NBA All-Star Game: East 132, West 120". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  19. ^ "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  20. ^ "1997 NBA Rising Stars: East 96, West 91". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  21. ^ Araton, Harvey (March 3, 1997). "Low Scores a Result of Imprecise Shooting". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  22. ^ "Blast from the Past: Winning Ugly". NBA.com. September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  23. ^ a b "1996–97 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  24. ^ a b "1996–97 NBA Team Ratings". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  25. ^ "Cavaliers 73, Bulls 70". Chicago Tribune. February 28, 1997. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  26. ^ "Jordan Miss Leaves Cavs with Rare Win". Deseret News. Associated Press. February 28, 1997. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  27. ^ "Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers Box Score, February 27, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  28. ^ "Spurs Get "Ridiculous" 64–59 Win Over Cavaliers". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. March 26, 1997. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  29. ^ "Spurs Get Ugly Win, 64–59". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. March 26, 1997. p. 3B. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  30. ^ "Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs Box Score, March 25, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  31. ^ Roberts, Selena (September 26, 1997). "PRO BASKETBALL; Sonics' Kemp Gets Wish and Is Traded, to Cavs". The New York Times. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  32. ^ Baker, Chris (September 26, 1997). "Kemp Is Key Player in Three-Way Trade". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  33. ^ Sherwin, Bob (September 26, 1997). "Shawn Kemp Moves On -- Reign Comes to an End -- Kemp Is a Cav, Baker Is a Sonic After 3-Way Deal". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  34. ^ "Celtics Sign Chris Mills and Tyus Edney". Associated Press. August 22, 1997. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  35. ^ "Celtics Sign 2 Free Agents". The New York Times. Bloomberg News. August 23, 1997. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  36. ^ "Transactions". Hartford Courant. August 23, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  37. ^ Roberts, Selena (October 23, 1997). "PRO BASKETBALL; Knicks Send Four Players to the Celtics for Mills". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  38. ^ "Knicks Trade Four Players to Get Mills". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. October 23, 1997. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  39. ^ Greenberg, Alan (October 23, 1997). "One of Pitino's Slick Moves". Hartford Courant. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  40. ^ "Hornets Sign Phills". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 20, 1997. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  41. ^ "Hornets Complete Renovation of Backcourt by Signing Phills". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. August 20, 1997. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  42. ^ "Hornets Sign Phills". The Spokesman-Review. Wire Services. August 20, 1997. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  43. ^ "Hornacek Re-Signs with Jazz". The New York Times. Associated Press. September 9, 1997. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  44. ^ "Jazz Re-Sign Hornacek". The Spokesman-Review. Wire Services. September 9, 1997. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  45. ^ O'Dell, Larry. "Price, William Mark (1964- )". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  46. ^ "Trail Blazers Obtain Derek Anderson and Steve Kerr". Portland Trail Blazers. Archived from the original on March 7, 2005. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
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