The 1983-84 Cleveland Cavaliers season was a challenging period for the franchise. The team finished the regular season with a record of 28-54, placing them fifth in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. Despite some individual performances, the Cavaliers struggled to establish consistency and competitiveness throughout the season.
Under the guidance of head coach Tom Nissalke, the Cavaliers faced difficulties on both sides of the court. The offensive struggles were evident, as the team averaged just 106.3 points per game, ranking 19th in the league. Defensively, they allowed 111.4 points per game, which contributed to their struggles in closing out games and maintaining leads.
During the season, the Cavaliers were led by forward Cliff Robinson, who averaged 17.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and World B. Free, who contributed significantly with 22.5 points per game. Despite their efforts, the team lacked the depth and star power necessary to compete with the stronger teams in the league.
The 1983-84 season did not see the Cavaliers make the playoffs, continuing a playoff drought that had persisted since the 1977-78 season. The team’s performance that year highlighted the need for rebuilding and strategic changes to improve their standing in the league. Overall, the season was a stepping stone in the franchise’s long-term development, as they looked to draft and develop talent that could lead to future success.
- Regular Season Record: 28-54
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Cleveland Cavaliers Roster and Stats for 1983-84 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| World B. Free | 75 | 22.3 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 31.9 | |||||||
| Cliff Robinson | 73 | 17.8 | 10.3 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 50.0 | |||||||
| Phil Hubbard | 80 | 10.8 | 4.8 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Lonnie Shelton | 79 | 10.8 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 20.1 | |||||||
| Geoff Huston | 77 | 10.5 | 1.2 | 5.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 18.2 | |||||||
| Paul Thompson | 82 | 9.0 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 23.1 | |||||||
| John Bagley | 76 | 8.9 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 11.8 | |||||||
| Jeff Cook | 81 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 49.8 | |||||||
| Roy Hinson | 80 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Stewart Granger | 56 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 30.8 | |||||||
| John Garris | 33 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ben Poquette | 51 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 20.0 | |||||||
| Geoff Crompton | 7 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
Cleveland Cavaliers 1983-84 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1983-84 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 1983 | vs. New York Knicks | L 113-106 | |
| Oct 29, 1983 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 108-89 | |
| Nov 01, 1983 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 125-113 | |
| Nov 02, 1983 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 103-94 | |
| Nov 04, 1983 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 105-84 | |
| Nov 05, 1983 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 99-87 | |
| Nov 09, 1983 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 113-101 | |
| Nov 10, 1983 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 115-110 | |
| Nov 12, 1983 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 109-102 | |
| Nov 16, 1983 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 115-104 | |
| Nov 17, 1983 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 127-114 | |
| Nov 20, 1983 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 99-97 | |
| Nov 23, 1983 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 107-98 | |
| Nov 26, 1983 | @ New York Knicks | L 96-84 | |
| Nov 27, 1983 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 114-106 | |
| Nov 29, 1983 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 103-93 | |
| Nov 30, 1983 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 112-105 | |
| Dec 02, 1983 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 108-99 | |
| Dec 03, 1983 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 102-91 | |
| Dec 06, 1983 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 114-105 | |
| Dec 07, 1983 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 106-92 | |
| Dec 09, 1983 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 96-83 | |
| Dec 10, 1983 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 101-95 | |
| Dec 13, 1983 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 107-105 | |
| Dec 14, 1983 | @ Boston Celtics | L 110-108 | |
| Dec 16, 1983 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 115-105 | |
| Dec 17, 1983 | @ Washington Bullets | L 119-95 | |
| Dec 21, 1983 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 119-112 | |
| Dec 23, 1983 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 89-83 | |
| Dec 29, 1983 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 88-77 | |
| Dec 30, 1983 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 109-98 | |
| Jan 03, 1984 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 104-92 | |
| Jan 04, 1984 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 106-99 | |
| Jan 06, 1984 | @ Boston Celtics | L 115-97 | |
| Jan 07, 1984 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 106-98 | |
| Jan 10, 1984 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 116-104 | |
| Jan 14, 1984 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 132-131 | |
| Jan 17, 1984 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 105-103 | |
| Jan 18, 1984 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 109-107 | |
| Jan 20, 1984 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 109-106 | |
| Jan 21, 1984 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 111-94 | |
| Jan 24, 1984 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 118-97 | |
| Jan 31, 1984 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 114-112 | |
| Feb 03, 1984 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 106-76 | |
| Feb 04, 1984 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 108-100 | |
| Feb 07, 1984 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 130-99 | |
| Feb 08, 1984 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 119-108 | |
| Feb 10, 1984 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 95-90 | |
| Feb 11, 1984 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 86-83 | |
| Feb 14, 1984 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 103-93 | |
| Feb 15, 1984 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 104-90 | |
| Feb 18, 1984 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 118-93 | |
| Feb 21, 1984 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 102-84 | |
| Feb 23, 1984 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 116-109 | |
| Feb 25, 1984 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 94-83 | |
| Feb 26, 1984 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 121-109 | |
| Feb 28, 1984 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 142-137 | |
| Mar 01, 1984 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 119-113 | |
| Mar 02, 1984 | @ Utah Jazz | L 110-104 | |
| Mar 06, 1984 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 129-122 | |
| Mar 07, 1984 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 115-103 | |
| Mar 11, 1984 | @ Houston Rockets | L 108-101 | |
| Mar 13, 1984 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 92-83 | |
| Mar 15, 1984 | @ New York Knicks | L 105-82 | |
| Mar 16, 1984 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 118-102 | |
| Mar 18, 1984 | vs. Kansas City Kings | L 108-97 | |
| Mar 20, 1984 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 108-104 | |
| Mar 21, 1984 | vs. New York Knicks | W 100-99 | |
| Mar 23, 1984 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 100-95 | |
| Mar 25, 1984 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 101-96 | |
| Mar 27, 1984 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 106-103 | |
| Mar 28, 1984 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 130-98 | |
| Mar 30, 1984 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 90-87 | |
| Mar 31, 1984 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 120-119 | |
| Apr 03, 1984 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 98-86 | |
| Apr 05, 1984 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 114-99 | |
| Apr 06, 1984 | @ Boston Celtics | L 113-94 | |
| Apr 08, 1984 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 124-97 | |
| Apr 09, 1984 | @ New York Knicks | L 118-113 | |
| Apr 11, 1984 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 108-95 | |
| Apr 13, 1984 | vs. New York Knicks | L 107-98 | |
| Apr 14, 1984 | @ Washington Bullets | W 117-109 |