Cleveland Cavaliers: 15 greatest draft steals in franchise history
By John Buhler
Zydrunas Ilgauskas. 1. player. 156. . C. Ateletas Kaunas (Lithuania), 1996 (No. 20)
- 12 seasons w/Cavaliers (1997-10)
- No. 11 jersey retired by Cavaliers
- 2x NBA All-Star (2002-03, 2004-05)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (1997-98)
- 771 career games w/Cavaliers
- 13.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.2 assists per game w/Cavaliers
Zydrunas Ilgauskas is by far and away the Cavaliers’ greatest draft steal in franchise history. The Lithuanian big man was selected No. 20 overall in the 1996 NBA Draft. Ilgauskas ended up spending almost his entire NBA career in Northeast Ohio.
He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1997-98, as he averaged 13.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Ilgauskas played in all 82 games that year, starting in all but one of them. However, nagging foot injuries would limit him to just five games played over the next two seasons. Big men and their feet.
More from All-Time Lists
- Cleveland Cavaliers’ 10 biggest draft busts since 2000
- 7 Former All-Stars the Cavaliers signed past their prime
- Cleveland Cavaliers championships, Finals appearances, history, more
- Ranking the 13 Worst Cavaliers starters of the LeBron James return era
- 7 players the Cleveland Cavaliers held onto for way too long
Ilgauskas returned in 2000-01, but only played in 24 games for the Cavaliers. He would continue to work his way back from injury in 2001-02 by playing in 62 contests and making 23 starts for the Cavaliers. This would lead up to his breakout campaign in 2002-03.
While the Cavaliers struggled mightily in the win column, Ilgauskas would make his first of two career trips to the NBA All-Star Game.
He represented the Eastern Conference that winter, as he averaged 17.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.6 assists per game.
The next year saw the arrival of LeBron James in Cleveland. Ilgauskas continued to perform at a high level during the entirety of James’ first stint in Northeast Ohio.
He made his second NBA All-Star Game in 2004-05, as he averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.3 assists per game. Ilgauskas averaged double figures in scoring for the next four seasons, coinciding with the franchise’s runs at NBA titles during James early years in Cleveland.
Related Story. Cleveland Cavaliers: 15 best forwards in franchise history. light
After James took his talents to South Beach, Ilgauskas followed him there for a year before retiring himself. Ilgauskas played 12 of his 13 NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, averaging 13.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 assists per game. His No. 11 jersey was retired by the organization on March 8, 2014. Until the Cavaliers mine another gem in an upcoming NBA Draft, Ilgauskas will remain their greatest draft steal of all-time.