The 2004-05 Cleveland Cavaliers season marked a pivotal moment in the team’s history as LeBron James continued to establish himself as a rising star in the NBA. Under the guidance of head coach Paul Silas, and later interim coach Brendan Malone, the Cavaliers aimed to build on the promise shown in James’ rookie season. They finished the season with a 42-40 record, narrowly missing the playoffs by a single game. This was a significant improvement from their previous season, where they finished 35-47.
LeBron James, in his second year, emerged as a dominant force, averaging 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. His performance earned him a selection to the All-NBA Second Team, underscoring his growing influence in the league. The Cavaliers also saw solid contributions from players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who provided a strong presence in the paint, and Drew Gooden, who added depth to the roster following a mid-season trade.
Despite their improved record, the Cavaliers struggled with consistency, particularly in the latter half of the season. A key moment came when the team opted to fire Silas in March after a series of disappointing performances. This coaching change, coupled with a late-season slump, ultimately cost them a playoff berth. While the season ended in disappointment, it laid the groundwork for future successes as the Cavaliers continued to build around LeBron James and his burgeoning talent.
- Regular Season Record: 42-40
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Cleveland Cavaliers Roster and Stats for 2004-05 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| LeBron James | 80 | 27.2 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 35.1 | |||||||
| Zydrunas Ilgauskas | 78 | 16.9 | 8.6 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 28.5 | |||||||
| Drew Gooden | 82 | 14.4 | 9.2 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 17.9 | |||||||
| Jeff McInnis | 76 | 12.8 | 2.1 | 5.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 34.5 | |||||||
| Ira Newble | 74 | 5.9 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 35.9 | |||||||
| Robert Traylor | 74 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Anderson Varejão | 54 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Sasha Pavlović | 65 | 4.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 38.5 | |||||||
| Lucious Harris | 73 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 32.3 | |||||||
| Dajuan Wagner | 11 | 4.0 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 19.2 | |||||||
| Eric Snow | 81 | 4.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 28.9 | |||||||
| Luke Jackson | 10 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 66.7 | |||||||
| Jiří Welsch | 16 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 18.2 | |||||||
| Scott Williams | 19 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jérôme Moïso | 4 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| DeSagana Diop | 39 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
Cleveland Cavaliers 2004-05 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2004-05 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 03, 2004 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 109-104 | |
| Nov 04, 2004 | @ Miami Heat | L 92-86 | |
| Nov 06, 2004 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 102-88 | |
| Nov 09, 2004 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 93-79 | |
| Nov 10, 2004 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 114-109 | |
| Nov 13, 2004 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 105-74 | |
| Nov 15, 2004 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 99-88 | |
| Nov 18, 2004 | @ Charlotte Bobcats | W 106-89 | |
| Nov 20, 2004 | vs. Charlotte Bobcats | W 100-84 | |
| Nov 21, 2004 | @ New York Knicks | L 98-88 | |
| Nov 24, 2004 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 92-76 | |
| Nov 26, 2004 | @ Boston Celtics | W 98-96 | |
| Nov 27, 2004 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 96-74 | |
| Nov 29, 2004 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 94-82 | |
| Dec 01, 2004 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 120-101 | |
| Dec 02, 2004 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 92-73 | |
| Dec 04, 2004 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 105-97 | |
| Dec 07, 2004 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 103-97 | |
| Dec 08, 2004 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 113-85 | |
| Dec 11, 2004 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 116-97 | |
| Dec 13, 2004 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | W 92-86 | |
| Dec 15, 2004 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 112-88 | |
| Dec 16, 2004 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 81-69 | |
| Dec 18, 2004 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 114-107 | |
| Dec 21, 2004 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 107-97 | |
| Dec 22, 2004 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 92-90 | |
| Dec 26, 2004 | vs. New Orleans Hornets | W 100-91 | |
| Dec 28, 2004 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 111-102 | |
| Dec 29, 2004 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 98-87 | |
| Jan 03, 2005 | @ Charlotte Bobcats | W 94-83 | |
| Jan 05, 2005 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 101-85 | |
| Jan 08, 2005 | vs. New York Knicks | W 104-79 | |
| Jan 11, 2005 | vs. Charlotte Bobcats | W 100-98 | |
| Jan 13, 2005 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 98-94 | |
| Jan 15, 2005 | @ Utah Jazz | W 84-71 | |
| Jan 16, 2005 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 105-97 | |
| Jan 19, 2005 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 107-101 | |
| Jan 20, 2005 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 123-96 | |
| Jan 22, 2005 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 105-87 | |
| Jan 24, 2005 | vs. Washington Wizards | L 106-97 | |
| Jan 26, 2005 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | W 114-111 | |
| Jan 28, 2005 | @ New York Knicks | L 99-96 | |
| Jan 30, 2005 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 104-87 | |
| Feb 01, 2005 | @ Orlando Magic | L 105-102 | |
| Feb 03, 2005 | @ Miami Heat | L 100-88 | |
| Feb 05, 2005 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 101-92 | |
| Feb 08, 2005 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 104-91 | |
| Feb 11, 2005 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 106-101 | |
| Feb 13, 2005 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 103-89 | |
| Feb 16, 2005 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 111-89 | |
| Feb 17, 2005 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 94-88 | |
| Feb 23, 2005 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 100-91 | |
| Feb 25, 2005 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 106-82 | |
| Feb 27, 2005 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 104-98 | |
| Feb 28, 2005 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 94-92 | |
| Mar 02, 2005 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 103-86 | |
| Mar 04, 2005 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 98-89 | |
| Mar 06, 2005 | vs. Miami Heat | L 102-82 | |
| Mar 08, 2005 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 111-92 | |
| Mar 13, 2005 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 98-86 | |
| Mar 15, 2005 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 92-73 | |
| Mar 16, 2005 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 96-88 | |
| Mar 18, 2005 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 93-81 | |
| Mar 20, 2005 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 105-98 | |
| Mar 22, 2005 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 91-76 | |
| Mar 24, 2005 | @ Houston Rockets | L 99-80 | |
| Mar 26, 2005 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 117-86 | |
| Mar 28, 2005 | @ New Orleans Hornets | W 109-108 | |
| Mar 29, 2005 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 94-84 | |
| Mar 31, 2005 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 102-90 | |
| Apr 01, 2005 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 128-109 | |
| Apr 03, 2005 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 100-80 | |
| Apr 05, 2005 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 111-80 | |
| Apr 06, 2005 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 98-77 | |
| Apr 08, 2005 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 103-98 | |
| Apr 09, 2005 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 98-81 | |
| Apr 11, 2005 | @ Orlando Magic | W 114-106 | |
| Apr 14, 2005 | vs. New York Knicks | L 95-89 | |
| Apr 15, 2005 | @ Washington Wizards | L 119-111 | |
| Apr 17, 2005 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 90-87 | |
| Apr 19, 2005 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 100-86 | |
| Apr 20, 2005 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 104-95 |