1995–96 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 1995–96 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 26th season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association. This was the first season since 1985–86 that Mark Price was not on the opening day roster.

Season summary

Off-season The Cavaliers had the 17th overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Bob Sura out of Florida State University. During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star guard, and three-point specialist Dan Majerle from the Phoenix Suns, and acquired 2-time Slam Dunk champion Harold Miner from the Miami Heat.

Regular season Despite the addition of Majerle and Sura, the Cavaliers struggled losing their first seven games of the regular season. After the first two games, Tyrone Hill was seriously injured in a car accident and missed 38 games; however, Hill eventually returned in the second half of the season playing off the bench, being replaced by Michael Cage as the team's starting center. The Cavaliers played above .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, and held a 26–20 record at the All-Star break. The team posted an eight-game winning streak between January and February, and posted a 10–2 record in February. The Cavaliers finished in third place in the Central Division with a 47–35 record, earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and qualified for the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.

Terrell Brandon continued to show improvement, averaging 19.3 points, 6.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game, while Chris Mills averaged 15.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and Bobby Phills provided the team with 14.6 points, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. In addition, Danny Ferry became the team's starting power forward, and contributed 13.3 points per game and 143 three-point field goals, while Majerle played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 10.6 points per game, and leading the Cavaliers with 146 three-point field goals, and Cage provided with 6.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Hill averaged 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and Sura contributed 5.3 points and 2.9 assists per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Brandon was selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his first ever All-Star appearance. Meanwhile, Sura was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference Rookie team. Brandon finished tied in 16th place in Most Valuable Player voting, and also finished tied in third place along with Ferry in Most Improved Player voting, while Phills finished tied in eighth place, and head coach Mike Fratello finished in second place in Coach of the Year voting, behind Phil Jackson of the Chicago Bulls.

For the second straight season, the Cavaliers were known as a low-scoring, defensive team led by Fratello's slow-paced, defensive coaching style. The team finished 28th in the NBA in scoring averaging 91.1 points per game, while allowing 88.5 points per game from their opponents, which was the best in the league; the Cavaliers' scoring average was the second-lowest during the regular season, as the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies finished last in the league averaging 89.8 points per game.

The Cavaliers finished eleventh in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 730,095 at the Gund Arena during the regular season.

NBA playoffs In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1996 NBA playoffs, and for the second consecutive year, the Cavaliers faced off against the 5th–seeded New York Knicks, who were led by All-Star center Patrick Ewing, Anthony Mason and John Starks. Despite both teams finishing with the same regular-season record, the Cavaliers had home-court advantage in the series. However, the Cavaliers lost the first two games to the Knicks at home at the Gund Arena, before losing Game 3 on the road, 81–76 at Madison Square Garden, thus losing the series in a three-game sweep.

Aftermath Following the season, Majerle signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat after only one season with the Cavaliers, while Cage signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Miner retired after four seasons in the NBA due to injuries, only playing just 19 games with the Cavaliers this season due to a knee injury. After missing the previous two seasons due to a back injury, former All-Star center Brad Daugherty also retired, ending his eight-year career in the NBA with the Cavaliers.

Offseason

Free agents

Trades

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 17 Bob Sura Guard Florida State 2 39 Donny Marshall Forward UConn

Roster

Roster notes Center Brad Daugherty was on the injured reserve list due to a back injury, and missed the entire regular season.

Regular season

Season standings

Game log

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Playoffs

Player stats

Regular season PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPGTerrell Brandon757534.346.538.788.73.36.51.80.419.3Chris Mills808038.346.837.682.95.52.40.90.715.1Bobby Phills726935.146.744.177.53.63.81.40.414.6Danny Ferry827932.745.939.476.93.82.30.70.513.3Dan Majerle821528.940.535.371.03.72.61.00.410.6Tyrone Hill44221.151.20.060.05.50.80.70.57.8Michael Cage828032.155.60.054.38.90.61.11.06.0Bob Sura79314.641.134.670.21.72.90.70.35.3Harold Miner1907.244.220.0100.00.60.40.00.03.2John Crotty58410.644.729.686.10.91.80.40.13.0John Amaechi28312.841.40.057.61.90.30.20.42.8Antonio Lang4109.053.20.072.31.30.30.30.32.8Donny Marshall3406.135.323.362.90.80.20.20.12.3Joe Courtney2308.742.90.044.42.10.40.20.31.7Darryl Johnson1102.541.70.0100.00.20.10.00.01.1

Playoffs PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPGTerrell Brandon3341.744.733.386.73.08.01.30.319.3Dan Majerle3030.344.443.588.94.03.01.30.716.7Danny Ferry3339.034.16.30.05.03.01.00.79.7Bobby Phills3332.037.120.025.04.72.00.70.39.7Tyrone Hill3017.775.00.077.85.00.00.00.08.3Chris Mills3335.033.30.0100.05.31.70.70.77.7Michael Cage3333.757.10.060.09.30.70.71.76.3Bob Sura306.066.70.00.00.31.00.30.01.3John Crotty204.50.00.0100.00.50.50.50.51.0John Amaechi102.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0Antonio Lang102.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0Donny Marshall101.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Player statistics citation:

Awards and records

Awards

Records

Milestones

All-Star

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Development League

References

Cleveland Cavaliers on Basketball Reference

1995–96 Cleveland Cavaliers season

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