The 1970-71 season marked the inaugural campaign for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. As an expansion team, the Cavaliers faced the typical struggles of a new franchise, finishing the season with a record of 15-67, which placed them last in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.
Under the guidance of head coach Bill Fitch, the Cavaliers aimed to establish a competitive presence in the league. However, the team faced significant challenges, including a lack of experienced players and the need to build chemistry among new teammates. Their roster was headlined by players like John Johnson, who led the team in scoring with an average of 16.6 points per game, and Bingo Smith, who contributed significantly with his versatility.
Despite the rough season, the Cavaliers managed to secure a few memorable victories, including their first-ever win against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 29, 1970. The team played its home games at the Cleveland Arena, which served as their venue until 1974. The expansion draft and subsequent NBA Draft were critical in assembling the initial roster, but the Cavaliers struggled to find consistency throughout the season.
Overall, the 1970-71 season was a foundational year for the Cleveland Cavaliers, serving as a stepping stone towards future growth and development in the NBA. The lessons learned and the experience gained during this challenging season would eventually help shape the franchise’s future endeavors.
- Regular Season Record: 15-67
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Cleveland Cavaliers Roster and Stats for 1970-71 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Walt Wesley | 82 | 17.7 | 8.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| John Johnson | 67 | 16.6 | 6.7 | 4.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bingo Smith | 77 | 15.2 | 5.6 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| McCoy McLemore | 58 | 11.7 | 8.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| John Warren | 82 | 11.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dave Sorenson | 79 | 11.3 | 6.1 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Luther Rackley | 74 | 7.6 | 5.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bobby Washington | 47 | 7.4 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Len Chappell | 6 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bobby Lewis | 79 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Joe Cooke | 73 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Johnny Egan | 26 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Cliff Anderson | 23 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Larry Mikan | 53 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Gary Suiter | 30 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Gary Freeman | 11 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Cleveland Cavaliers 1970-71 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1970-71 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 1970 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 107-92 | |
| Oct 16, 1970 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 115-112 | |
| Oct 17, 1970 | @ San Francisco Warriors | L 128-108 | |
| Oct 20, 1970 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 120-98 | |
| Oct 22, 1970 | @ San Diego Rockets | L 140-110 | |
| Oct 23, 1970 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 108-104 | |
| Oct 25, 1970 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 123-96 | |
| Oct 28, 1970 | vs. San Diego Rockets | L 110-99 | |
| Oct 30, 1970 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 125-110 | |
| Nov 01, 1970 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 131-107 | |
| Nov 02, 1970 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 141-87 | |
| Nov 04, 1970 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 110-108 | |
| Nov 07, 1970 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 103-91 | |
| Nov 08, 1970 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 111-105 | |
| Nov 10, 1970 | @ San Francisco Warriors | L 109-74 | |
| Nov 12, 1970 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 105-103 | |
| Nov 13, 1970 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 111-91 | |
| Nov 14, 1970 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 126-116 | |
| Nov 16, 1970 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 98-86 | |
| Nov 18, 1970 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 111-98 | |
| Nov 20, 1970 | @ Boston Celtics | L 116-112 | |
| Nov 21, 1970 | @ New York Knicks | L 102-94 | |
| Nov 22, 1970 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 114-99 | |
| Nov 25, 1970 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 108-99 | |
| Nov 27, 1970 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 111-102 | |
| Nov 28, 1970 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 105-86 | |
| Nov 29, 1970 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 120-99 | |
| Dec 04, 1970 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 118-107 | |
| Dec 06, 1970 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 108-106 | |
| Dec 09, 1970 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 109-102 | |
| Dec 11, 1970 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 134-92 | |
| Dec 12, 1970 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 114-95 | |
| Dec 13, 1970 | vs. San Diego Rockets | L 118-95 | |
| Dec 15, 1970 | @ New York Knicks | L 110-92 | |
| Dec 16, 1970 | vs. New York Knicks | L 108-84 | |
| Dec 18, 1970 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 113-94 | |
| Dec 19, 1970 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 123-112 | |
| Dec 20, 1970 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 116-103 | |
| Dec 22, 1970 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 121-80 | |
| Dec 25, 1970 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 117-100 | |
| Dec 26, 1970 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 120-107 | |
| Dec 27, 1970 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 114-101 | |
| Dec 29, 1970 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 119-97 | |
| Dec 31, 1970 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 119-85 | |
| Jan 01, 1971 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 128-105 | |
| Jan 02, 1971 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 118-73 | |
| Jan 04, 1971 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 119-106 | |
| Jan 06, 1971 | vs. New York Knicks | L 127-94 | |
| Jan 07, 1971 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 110-105 | |
| Jan 09, 1971 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 111-89 | |
| Jan 14, 1971 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 108-106 | |
| Jan 16, 1971 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 115-96 | |
| Jan 19, 1971 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 111-79 | |
| Jan 24, 1971 | @ Boston Celtics | L 121-110 | |
| Jan 25, 1971 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 117-116 | |
| Jan 27, 1971 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 118-104 | |
| Jan 29, 1971 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 119-111 | |
| Jan 31, 1971 | vs. Buffalo Braves | W 117-108 | |
| Feb 02, 1971 | @ Buffalo Braves | W 101-91 | |
| Feb 03, 1971 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 98-95 | |
| Feb 05, 1971 | @ San Diego Rockets | L 116-105 | |
| Feb 06, 1971 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 119-91 | |
| Feb 07, 1971 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 112-103 | |
| Feb 09, 1971 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 116-111 | |
| Feb 12, 1971 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 114-105 | |
| Feb 13, 1971 | vs. Buffalo Braves | L 111-106 | |
| Feb 14, 1971 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 108-83 | |
| Feb 17, 1971 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 109-104 | |
| Feb 19, 1971 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 125-109 | |
| Feb 21, 1971 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 123-105 | |
| Feb 24, 1971 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 123-101 | |
| Feb 28, 1971 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 107-90 | |
| Mar 06, 1971 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 120-109 | |
| Mar 07, 1971 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 104-100 | |
| Mar 09, 1971 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 124-113 | |
| Mar 12, 1971 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 119-107 | |
| Mar 14, 1971 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 115-103 | |
| Mar 16, 1971 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 108-103 | |
| Mar 17, 1971 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 113-109 | |
| Mar 20, 1971 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 114-103 | |
| Mar 21, 1971 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 113-110 | |
| Mar 23, 1971 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 114-112 |