The Cleveland Cavaliers history as a franchise doesn’t quite stack up to the historic franchises in the NBA. However, they have had excellent players at each position. Today, we rank the top 10 centers in Cavaliers’ history.
The four-year stretch in the second LeBron James era, from 2014-18, was the greatest run in franchise history. Outside of the four consecutive finals appearances, the Cleveland Cavaliers only have one other finals appearance in franchise history, 2007, where they were promptly swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite the fact that they don’t have a deep history as a franchise, they do have really good players at every position.
There’s been previously ranked the top 10 guards, and top 15 forwards in Cavs franchise history, and both lists are very good.
Now, we are moving on to the top 10 centers. With the power forward and the center position being so interchangeable, especially recently, you will see a few players who were on the top 15 forwards list.
Checking in at number 10 is Elmore Smith. Smith was the former number three overall pick by the Buffalo Braves in the 1971 NBA Draft. His best seasons were far and away his two seasons with the Braves as he averaged 17.8 points and 13.8 rebounds per-game per Basketball-Reference.
Smith played his final three seasons in the NBA in Cleveland. He helped the Cavaliers earn two playoff bids in his three years.
Over the course of his career in Cleveland, Smith only averaged 21.3 minutes per-game per Basketball-Reference. Despite his low minute share, he had career per-game averages in Cleveland of 10.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per Basketball-Reference.
The Golden State Warriors drafted Tyrone Hill with the 11th pick in the 1990 NBA Draft but shipped him to Cleveland after just three seasons with the team. Hill had two separate stints in Cleveland and played a total of 6 seasons for the Cavaliers.
Hill was a very good player on very good Cavaliers teams in his first stint. He played four seasons in Cleveland before moving on to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cavaliers made three playoff appearances in those four years.
His best season came in the 1994-95 seasons where he had per-game averages of 13.8 points and 10.9 rebounds and even made the All-Star team according to Basketball-Reference.
He later returned to Cleveland for two more seasons towards the end of his career.
Over the course of his six Cavaliers seasons, according to Basketball-Reference, Hill had per-game averages of 10.8 points and 9.2 rebounds.
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Jim Chones was a second-round steal by the Cavaliers. The Cavs selected Chones with the 13th pick in the second round of the 1973 NBA Draft.
Despite being drafted in the 1973 NBA Draft, Chones didn’t appear in an NBA game until the 1974-75 season due to the fact that he was still playing in the ABA.
Chones was a teammate of the number 10 ranked center, Elmore Smith, and they were a formidable 1-2 punch.
There was very little drop off when Chones exited and Smith subbed in for him.
Over the course of his five seasons in Cleveland, per Basketball-Reference, Chones had per-game averages of 14.3 points and 9.5 rebounds.
Anderson Varejao is an all-time fan favorite in Cleveland due to his motor that was also on full go.
Even though Varejao signed with the enemy in the 2015-16 season, the Golden State Warriors, he will always be viewed as a fan favorite.
Although Varejao had some solid scoring nights in Cleveland, it’s not exactly what he was known for, and there were plenty of nights where he likely had more floor burns than points scored. That’s what endeared him to Cavaliers fans and his Cavalier teammates.
He was also excellent at drawing charges and was often towards the top of the league in charges drawn for the season.
However, his best ability was his ability to give the team extra possesions by attacking the offensive glass. Per Basketball-Reference, for his career in Cleveland, Varejao averaged 2..5 offensive rebounds per game. He also had per-game averages over the course of his 12 seasons in Cleveland of 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds.
John Williams, perhaps better known as Hot Rod Williams was an excellent sixth man for the Cavaliers during his time in Cleveland. The Cavaliers were able to steal him very late in the draft due to some questionable character issues.
He missed what would have been his rookie season due to the trial he was facing as apart of a point-shaving incident while at Tulane. He was found not guilty of sports conspiracy and sports bribery.
Williams was also kicked off the team at Tulane for missing practices and not being reliable. So he slid in the draft and the Cavaliers got a steal when they selected him.
Williams was the sixth man for the Cavaliers’ second-best run in franchise history in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Over the course of his nine seasons in Cleveland, per Basketball-Reference, Williams had per-game averages of 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks.
Tristan Thompson gets the nod over Williams due to the fact that he was a major piece to the completing the NBA title puzzle.
Thompson’s raw statistics, while solid at 9.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game per Basketball-Reference, do not quite stack up to Williams’.
However, a major aspect of Thompson’s game is one that does not necessarily show up in the box score, and it was also a major factor in the 2016 NBA Finals. His ability to switch off on to ball-handlers (mainly Stephen Curry) was vital to their NBA title.
Curry, of course, won the majority of those matchups, but Thompson made it more difficult on him than any other big in the NBA could have. He didn’t gamble, moved his feet, and got tall when contesting without fouling.
Shawn Kemp was acquired by the Cavaliers via three-team trade. They sent All-Star point guard and the number nine player on this list, Tyrone Hill, to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Kemp was better known as a Seattle Super Sonic, and a power forward. However, he played plenty of center in his three seasons in Cleveland.
During his time in Cleveland, the Cavaliers made one playoff appearance, in his first season with the team, one in which he also made the All-Star game after posting per-game averages of 18 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks according to Basketball-Reference.
Kemp would likely be a spot or two higher on this board had he been a Cavalier for more than three seasons as his per-game averages with the Cavaliers over the course of those three seasons was 18.5 points and 9.1 rebounds according to Basketball-Reference.
While Kevin Love‘s primary position is unquestionably power forward, he has logged a lot of minutes at center for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Those minutes have also been incredible.
Love, while loved by Cavalier’s fans, still might be underappreciated by the NBA as a whole.
When the Cavaliers struggled in the playoffs, Love was the target of the blame. Whenever they would play well, and specifically Love, it was because LeBron James and Kyrie Irving made it easy on Love.
Here is a sample of what Love can do, however:
While his numbers took an expected drop in Cleveland, they are still fantastic, and Love was vital in the Cavaliers’ championship. He was another piece teams had to gameplan for.
Over the course of his four years in Cleveland, per Basketball-Reference, Love has per-game averages of 17.1 points and 10 rebounds.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas gets the nod over Love at number two strictly because of longevity. Ilgauskas was an all-time great for the Cavs and he did it for 12 seasons and overcame some foot injuries early in his career, which have been a death sentence for a lot of 7-footers.
Ilgauskas had his number 11 jersey retired, and it was very deserving. He retired as the Cavaliers all-time leader in block shots. His career per-game averages, per Basketball-Reference, with the Cavaliers, are 13 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks.
Ilgauskas suffered through a lot of bad seasons in Cleveland before James was drafted, but he was a vital piece in helping James lead the Cavaliers to a lot of success during their run before James departed for the Miami Heat.
As an all-time fan favorite, Ilgauskas will be remembered fondly for his days in Cleveland by the ownership group and the fans.
The former number one overall pick, Brad Daugherty was an outstanding player.
Even though he only appeared in 548 games, he still gets the nod at number one without even a debate.
Daugherty would be a Hall of Fame member if it wasn’t for a back injury that robbed him of another five to seven years of dominance.
He was the centerpiece of some really good Cavalier teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Daugherty formed quite the duo with all-star point guard Mark Price.
It’s been said many times before that if it weren’t for Michael Jordan, the Cavaliers may have more hardware in their trophy cases. Jordan plus the trade blunder that is Ron Harper for Danny Ferry were two major factors in keeping the Cavaliers and Daugherty from making it to the NBA Finals.
The Cavaliers made the playoffs in six out of eight seasons that Daugherty donned a Cleveland jersey.
Daugherty made the All-Star team in five out of his eight NBA seasons and was selected to the 1992-93 All-NBA team.
His numbers are fantastic. His per-game averages, for his career, per Basketball-Reference are 19 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
Many of the Cavaliers top 10 centers are effort players who do a lot of things that don’t directly impact the box score, however, the top of the list is loaded with talent, and it’s a shame we didn’t get to see Daugherty’s entire career play out, healthy.