Despite limited success in NBA history, the Cleveland Cavaliers still have a bevy of great guards throughout franchise history. KJG has narrowed it down to the 10 best.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a franchise that has limited success throughout the history of the NBA. They were a very tough out in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, but they ran into a Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls’ buzzsaw.
The Cavs’ franchise history isn’t one that stacks up against the top franchise in NBA history like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, or San Antonio Spurs.
Recent history, however, has changed the perception of the franchise as they are fresh off of a four-year NBA Finals run from 2014-18, including their lone NBA title. A lot of players on this list didn’t have much team success, but they were still instrumental to the franchise.
For this particular list, we are only taking into consideration the years played with the Cavs, not the particular players’ entire career.
Checking in at number 10 is Craig Ehlo. Ehlo is perhaps best known for Jordan’s famous shot in Cleveland to eliminate the Cavaliers.
Very few remember, however, that Ehlo was playing on an injured groin and ankle in this game, and made a go-ahead layup with three seconds to go. He also had 15 points in that vital fourth quarter.
That Cavs team was stacked. In addition to Ehlo, Mark Price, Larry Nance, Brad Daughtery, Ron Harper, and Hot Rod Williams were apart of the 1988-89 team. It took an all-time great shot by, perhaps, the greatest to ever play to knock them out.
Over the course of his seven-year career in Cleveland, according to Basketball-Reference, Ehlo held per-game averages of 9.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
Mo Williams is a fan favorite in Cleveland. Perhaps part of it was his reaction to LeBron James after he left for the Miami Heat.
This interaction isn’t the sole reason Williams checks in at number nine. He was a fantastic player for the Cavaliers during his first stint in Cleveland and was the second-best player behind James on the Cavs best team in franchise history at that point in time.
The 2008-09 season was one to remember for Williams and Cavs fans. Williams assisted James in leading the Cavaliers to their best record in franchise history at 66-16.
Williams was also selected to his lone all-star game after averaging 17.8, and 4.8 assists while shooting 46.7% from the field and 43.6% from three on 5.2 three-point attempts per-game (all stats per Basketball-Reference).
Until he had a career 52 points with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Williams’ career-high for points in a game was in a Cavaliers’ uniform when he dropped 43 points against the Sacramento Kings.
Williams had a penchant for getting hot at times during his first stint with the Cavaliers and was a fantastic side-kick to James. He was a big reason for the Cavaliers’ success during the first James, Cavaliers era.
The Ron Harper for (essentially) Danny Ferry trade is one of the biggest trade blunders in NBA history, and it very rarely is talked about. If the Cavaliers held onto Harper, he would surely be higher on this list, his short history with the franchise is the only thing keeping him this low.
More from King James Gospel
- 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
- The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
- 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
- 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
- This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead
The Cavaliers had one of the greatest first-rounds of an NBA draft ever in 1986. The Cavs selected University of North Carolina big-man Brad Daugherty with the first pick in 1986, but he wasn’t the best rookie on the Cavs roster that season.
Harper was selected with the eighth pick in that same draft by the Cavaliers and was the runner up for the rookie of the year in the 1986-87 season, finishing behind Chuck Person.
His rookie year was one of the greatest ever by a Cavalier. According to Basketball-Reference Harper had per-game averages of 22.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.
Harper played three full seasons in Cleveland before being dealt seven games into his fourth season.
If the Cavaliers had held onto Harper and built on the core they had in place with him, Daugherty, Price, and Nance, they could have threatened the Bulls in the early 1990s.
Over the course of his entire Cavs tenure, per Basketball-Reference Harper held per-game averages of 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.
It should be noted that Danny Ferry didn’t fare quite as well as a Cavalier. Per Basketball-Reference, his per-game averages over the course of his Cavaliers tenure are 7.8 points and 3 rebounds.
Bingo Smith was with the Cleveland Cavaliers for 10 seasons, including their inaugural season in 1970-71. They were terrible during his first five seasons in Cleveland as the Cavs had a combined record of 139 wins and 271 losses.
During the Cavs’ inaugural season, Smith had per-game averages of 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists according to Basketball-Reference.
In the Cavaliers sixth season, they finally had a winning record and won the Central Division with a record of 49 wins and 33 losses.
Smith was a big reason why they were so successful and was one of the few bright spots throughout his time in Cleveland.
In the Cavs first winning season, Smith had per-game averages of 13.6 points and 4.2 rebounds according to Basketball-Reference.
That Cavaliers team featured some great players like current Cavs broadcaster Austin Carr, Jim Chones, Campy Russell, and Nate Thurmond and a Hall of Fame coach Bill Fitch.
KJG’s Dan Gillinsky broke down how Fitch was a major key to the Cavalier’s turn around here.
Over the course of his 10 seasons in Cleveland, Smith carried per-game averages of 13.2 points and 4.2 rebounds according to Basketball-Reference.
The Cavaliers used the number eight pick in the 1999 NBA Draft on University of Utah point guard Andre Miller. The 1999 NBA Draft was a very solid one.
Nine of the top 10 draft picks had a successful career with only fifth pick Jonathan Bender flaming out.
The Cavs nailed their selection with Miller. He was only with the team for three seasons before he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for high-flying wing Darius Miles.
While Miles was a very exciting player, Miller was the better one, so Miller is the second player to appear on this list who should have been a Cavalier for longer than he was.
Miller was named to the NBA All-Rookie team during the 1999-00 season as he had per-game averages of 11.1 points and 5.8 assists according to Basketball-Reference.
During his three seasons in Cleveland, despite Miller’s fantastic play, the Cavs were terrible. They had a combined record of 91 wins and 155 losses. Miller’s best teammates throughout his three-year tenure were an end of his career Shawn Kemp, an oft-injured Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Wesley Person, Lamond Murray, and a young Ricky Davis.
Miller also led the NBA in assists in his final season in Cleveland where he averaged 10.8 per-game per Basketball-Reference.
Over the course of his three years in Cleveland, Miller averaged 14.5 points and 8.2 assists per game according to Basketball-Reference.
As is the case for most Cavaliers players, unfortunately, World B. Free played for the franchise during a dark time in the franchise’s history.
Including his first season with the Cavs, in which he was traded in the middle of the 1982-83 season by the Golden State Warriors, the Cavs had a combined record through his four seasons of 116 wins and 212 losses.
Despite four losing seasons, the Cavs actually made the playoffs in Free’s third season with a 36 and 46 record. They were promptly bounced in the first round by the Boston Celtics, however.
Free was an incredible scorer throughout his career in the NBA. Even during his four seasons in Cleveland, which were towards the end of his career, he managed to put up some impressive scoring seasons.
Free was always a high-level scorer. He was perhaps, a bit ahead of his time from a skill and athleticism standpoint.
While there were a handful of players who had the athleticism of today’s NBA, they were few and far between. Free electrified with his beautiful high-elevation and high-arcing jumper and his dazzling finishes around the rim.
Per Basketball-Reference, Free had per-game averages of 23 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in his four seasons in Cleveland.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been notoriously raked over the coals for poor draft picks. But most of that stems from selecting Anthony Bennett number one overall. Despite what fans and experts think, the Cavs have actually hit on a lot of guard selections. Terrell Brandon is no exception to that.
Brandon was selected with the eleventh pick in the 1991 NBA Draft by the Cavs. The 1991 draft featured some really high-level players like Larry Johnson, Kenny Anderson, Dikembe Mutombo, and Steve Smith. Terrell Brandon has an argument as the fifth-best player taken in that draft.
The 1991-92 season was one in which the Cavaliers were in the middle of their impressive 11-year run where they had nine playoff appearances.
The Cavs were very deep heading into the 1991 NBA Draft so they had the ability to draft for the best available player. Despite employing Cavs’ legend Mark Price, the Cavs went ahead and selected Brandon.
Brandon ended up backing up Price for his first three and half seasons. Price was hurt in the middle of the 1994-95 season and Brandon ascended to the starting point guard position.
The 1995-96 season saw Brandon remain the starting point guard, and each of the next two seasons, he made the All-Star team.
Brandon was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks prior to the 1997-98 season in a three-team trade that sent Shawn Kemp to the Cavaliers.
Over the course of his six seasons in Cleveland, according to Basketball-Reference, Brandon had per-game averages of 12.7 points and 4.9 assists.
Austin Carr is a beloved member of the Cleveland Cavaliers as the current-day Cavaliers color commentator. However, he was an incredible player for the franchise also.
The Cavs used the number one overall pick in the 1971 NBA Draft on the Notre Dame guard, and it was a wise decision.
In his rookie season, despite only appearing in 43 games, Carr was named to the All-Rookie team. He averaged a whopping 21.2 points-per-game that season according to Basketball-Reference.
Carr joined the number seven player on this list, Bingo Smith, on the 1971-72 Cavs team, and as mentioned before, they struggled. Carr and Smith were two of the bright spots during the early Cavaliers’ years.
Though the first few years were tough, the Cavs had a three-year playoff stretch, and a lot of that was due to the play of Carr. The Cavs even made the conference finals, falling to the Boston Celtics in 6 games in the 1975-76 season.
Carr battled a knee injury early in his career so it didn’t finish as it had started. Carr still had solid per-game averages over nine seasons in Cleveland of 16.2 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists according to Basketball-Reference.
His career as a player, in addition to his color commentating, make him a fan favorite in Cleveland, and after the passing of his friend and long-time broadcasting partner Fred McLeod, he is who Cavalier fans will look to help them through not having McLeod on the microphone early in the season.
Oh, what could have been. Kyrie Irving was selected number one overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. That pick was immediately validated by Irving’s rookie season in which he won the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
Despite an abysmal record by the Cavs during his rookie season, he still put up per-game averages of 18.5 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds.
Irving also had a penchant for, as Fred McLeod always so eloquently put it, “bruising ankles and egos.” Irving had that “it factor” that so many of the league’s top stars have, in addition to his absurd numbers.
He was apart of, and a major factor in the greatest run in franchise history as he was a perfect number two option to LeBron James, and even carried them to wins on nights that James didn’t play (which were few and far between).
Irving is also the author of the greatest shot in franchise history. He nailed the championship-clinching shot, in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Warriors.
In addition to the championship and Rookie of the Year award, Irving has some fantastic accolades over his six seasons in Cleveland. He made four All-Star teams, an All-Star game MVP, and an All-NBA team.
Per Basketball-Reference, Irving had per-game averages in Cleveland of 21.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds.
Mark Price is a Cavaliers’ legend. Selecting him number one for this list over Kyrie Irving was a very difficult task. However, Price’s longevity with the franchise vaulted him to the top spot.
If it wasn’t for Michael Jordan, Price is likely the lead guard for the Cavaliers’ first championship team and not Irving.
Price was a member of the Cavaliers from the 1986-87 season through the 1994-95 season. Up until the Cavs run of four consecutive finals, this was the greatest run in franchise history as the Cavs made the playoffs in seven of his nine seasons. They were eliminated by the Bulls in five of those appearances.
The Cavaliers’ teams at that time were loaded and included the number 10 guard in franchise history, Craig Ehlo. They also included Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance.
Price was an incredible shooter. According to Basketball-Reference, Price had eight seasons where he finished in the top-20 in three-point shooting percentage (40.2% for his career), he lead the NBA in free-throw shooting three times and is third in NBA history at 90.2%.
Also according to Basketball-Reference, Price was a four-time All-Star in his nine seasons in Cleveland and named to four All-NBA teams. He averaged 16.4 points and 7.2 assists in Cleveland.