The 1998-99 Cleveland Cavaliers season was marked by a lockout-shortened schedule, leading to a 50-game regular season. Under head coach Mike Fratello, the Cavaliers finished with a record of 22-28, placing them seventh in the Central Division and 10th in the Eastern Conference, which was not enough to secure a playoff berth.
The team was led by Shawn Kemp, who was acquired from the Seattle SuperSonics in a trade during the previous season. Kemp averaged 20.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, serving as the focal point of the Cavaliers’ offense. The roster also included standout rookie point guard Andre Miller, who was selected 8th overall in the 1999 NBA Draft. Miller averaged 11.1 points and 5.8 assists per game, demonstrating his potential as a future team leader.
Defensively, the Cavaliers ranked as one of the better teams in the league, largely due to Fratello’s emphasis on defense. However, their offensive struggles were evident, as they finished near the bottom of the league in scoring. This imbalance was a significant factor in their inability to secure a playoff spot.
In conclusion, the 1998-99 season was a rebuilding year for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite missing the playoffs, the emergence of Andre Miller and the consistent play of Shawn Kemp provided some optimism for the future. The team aimed to build on these positives in the following seasons.
- Regular Season Record: 22-28
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Cleveland Cavaliers Roster and Stats for 1998-99 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Shawn Kemp | 42 | 20.5 | 9.2 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 50.0 | |||||||
| Zydrunas Ilgauskas | 5 | 15.2 | 8.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Wesley Person | 45 | 11.2 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 37.5 | |||||||
| Derek Anderson | 38 | 10.8 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 30.4 | |||||||
| Brevin Knight | 39 | 9.6 | 3.4 | 7.7 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Cedric Henderson | 50 | 9.1 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 16.7 | |||||||
| Andrew DeClercq | 33 | 9.0 | 5.8 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Vitaly Potapenko | 17 | 8.4 | 5.5 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Danny Ferry | 50 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 39.2 | |||||||
| Johnny Newman | 50 | 6.1 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 37.7 | |||||||
| Mitchell Butler | 31 | 5.4 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 37.9 | |||||||
| Bob Sura | 50 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 20.0 | |||||||
| Corie Blount | 20 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ryan Stack | 18 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Earl Boykins | 17 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 15.4 | |||||||
| Antonio Lang | 10 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Litterial Green | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Cleveland Cavaliers 1998-99 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1998-99 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 05, 1999 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 100-83 | |
| Feb 06, 1999 | @ Boston Celtics | L 77-73 | |
| Feb 08, 1999 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 95-89 | |
| Feb 10, 1999 | @ Charlotte Hornets | W 87-77 | |
| Feb 11, 1999 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 99-89 | |
| Feb 16, 1999 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 90-78 | |
| Feb 18, 1999 | vs. New York Knicks | W 98-74 | |
| Feb 20, 1999 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 89-84 | |
| Feb 22, 1999 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 106-97 | |
| Feb 24, 1999 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 89-73 | |
| Feb 25, 1999 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 81-74 | |
| Mar 01, 1999 | @ New York Knicks | L 85-78 | |
| Mar 02, 1999 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 116-99 | |
| Mar 04, 1999 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 99-84 | |
| Mar 06, 1999 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 97-80 | |
| Mar 09, 1999 | @ Utah Jazz | L 88-75 | |
| Mar 10, 1999 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 86-73 | |
| Mar 13, 1999 | @ Houston Rockets | L 100-89 | |
| Mar 15, 1999 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 89-85 | |
| Mar 16, 1999 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 86-82 | |
| Mar 18, 1999 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 100-93 | |
| Mar 20, 1999 | @ Washington Wizards | L 113-83 | |
| Mar 21, 1999 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 88-85 | |
| Mar 23, 1999 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 113-86 | |
| Mar 25, 1999 | @ Orlando Magic | L 96-86 | |
| Mar 27, 1999 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 109-99 | |
| Mar 28, 1999 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 105-84 | |
| Mar 30, 1999 | vs. Toronto Raptors | L 101-91 | |
| Apr 01, 1999 | @ New York Knicks | L 78-74 | |
| Apr 02, 1999 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 85-80 | |
| Apr 04, 1999 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 98-74 | |
| Apr 06, 1999 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 96-89 | |
| Apr 07, 1999 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 99-91 | |
| Apr 08, 1999 | vs. Orlando Magic | L 73-69 | |
| Apr 10, 1999 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 81-67 | |
| Apr 12, 1999 | @ Boston Celtics | L 103-89 | |
| Apr 13, 1999 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 86-77 | |
| Apr 14, 1999 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 89-81 | |
| Apr 16, 1999 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 91-90 | |
| Apr 17, 1999 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | L 90-82 | |
| Apr 19, 1999 | vs. Miami Heat | L 94-87 | |
| Apr 21, 1999 | @ Miami Heat | L 93-80 | |
| Apr 23, 1999 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 79-75 | |
| Apr 26, 1999 | vs. Miami Heat | L 90-65 | |
| Apr 27, 1999 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 80-71 | |
| Apr 29, 1999 | @ Washington Wizards | L 97-86 | |
| Apr 30, 1999 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 91-83 | |
| May 02, 1999 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 76-65 | |
| May 04, 1999 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 100-78 | |
| May 05, 1999 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 96-87 |