The 2005-06 Cleveland Cavaliers season marked a significant step forward for the franchise, primarily due to the emergence of LeBron James as a dominant force in the NBA. The team finished the regular season with a record of 50-32, securing the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. This was a substantial improvement from their previous season, demonstrating the progress the team had made under head coach Mike Brown, who was in his first year with the Cavaliers.
LeBron James was instrumental in the team’s success, averaging 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, earning him a spot on the All-NBA First Team. His leadership on the court was complemented by a strong supporting cast, including Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who provided a solid presence in the paint, and Larry Hughes, who contributed significantly, although injuries limited his impact.
In the playoffs, the Cavaliers won their first-round series against the Washington Wizards in six games, marking their first playoff series victory since 1993. However, their postseason run ended in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they faced the Detroit Pistons. Despite a valiant effort, the Cavaliers were eliminated in seven games. The series highlighted the team’s potential and set the stage for future success, as they continued to build around their young superstar, LeBron James. Overall, the 2005-06 season was a pivotal year for the Cavaliers, laying the groundwork for their future as a perennial contender in the NBA.
- Regular Season Record: 50-32
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference First Round: 4-2, Eastern Conference Semifinals: 3-4
Cleveland Cavaliers Roster and Stats for 2005-06 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| LeBron James | 79 | 31.4 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 33.5 | 13 | 30.8 | 8.1 | 5.8 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 33.3 |
| Zydrunas Ilgauskas | 78 | 15.6 | 7.6 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 13 | 10.4 | 6.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 0.0 |
| Larry Hughes | 36 | 15.5 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 36.8 | 9 | 11.1 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 27.8 |
| Ronald Murray | 28 | 13.5 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 30.8 | 13 | 8.1 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 20.8 |
| Drew Gooden | 79 | 10.7 | 8.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 33.4 | 13 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Donyell Marshall | 81 | 9.3 | 6.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 32.4 | 13 | 9.5 | 5.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 39.1 |
| Damon Jones | 82 | 6.7 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 37.7 | 13 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 27.8 |
| Eric Snow | 82 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 10.0 | 13 | 6.6 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Anderson Varejão | 48 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 13 | 6.8 | 4.5 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Sasha Pavlović | 53 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 36.5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Stephen Graham | 13 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Luke Jackson | 36 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 33.3 | |||||||
| Alan Henderson | 51 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Zendon Hamilton | 11 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ira Newble | 36 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 23.1 | 5 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
| Mike Wilks | 37 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 14.3 | |||||||
| Martynas Andriuškevičius | 6 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2006 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Washington Wizards
In the first round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced off against the Washington Wizards, marking LeBron James's postseason debut. LeBron delivered a stellar performance throughout the series, averaging 35.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game, leading the Cavaliers to a thrilling 4-2 series victory. This series was a significant milestone for the franchise, highlighting LeBron's emergence as a playoff superstar and setting the stage for Cleveland's future successes.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2006 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 97-86 | |
| Apr 25, 2006 | vs. Washington Wizards | L 89-84 | |
| Apr 28, 2006 | @ Washington Wizards | W 97-96 | |
| Apr 30, 2006 | @ Washington Wizards | L 106-96 | |
| May 03, 2006 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 121-120 | |
| May 05, 2006 | @ Washington Wizards | W 114-113 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. Detroit Pistons
In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers made a significant impact by reaching the second round, led by a young LeBron James. Facing off against the Detroit Pistons, who were the Eastern Conference champions the previous year, the Cavaliers pushed the series to a thrilling seven games. Although they ultimately fell short, losing 4-3, this playoff run showcased LeBron's emerging greatness and signaled the Cavaliers' potential as future contenders.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 07, 2006 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 113-86 | |
| May 09, 2006 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 97-91 | |
| May 13, 2006 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 86-77 | |
| May 15, 2006 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 74-72 | |
| May 17, 2006 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 86-84 | |
| May 19, 2006 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 84-82 | |
| May 21, 2006 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 79-61 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 2005-06 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2005-06 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 02, 2005 | vs. New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | W 109-87 | |
| Nov 04, 2005 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 102-76 | |
| Nov 05, 2005 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | L 113-106 | |
| Nov 07, 2005 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 105-93 | |
| Nov 09, 2005 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 112-85 | |
| Nov 11, 2005 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | W 89-70 | |
| Nov 13, 2005 | @ Orlando Magic | W 108-100 | |
| Nov 15, 2005 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 114-99 | |
| Nov 18, 2005 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 102-84 | |
| Nov 19, 2005 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 123-120 | |
| Nov 22, 2005 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 115-93 | |
| Nov 24, 2005 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 98-76 | |
| Nov 26, 2005 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 89-85 | |
| Nov 30, 2005 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 112-105 | |
| Dec 02, 2005 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 115-108 | |
| Dec 03, 2005 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 102-90 | |
| Dec 06, 2005 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 102-97 | |
| Dec 09, 2005 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 109-100 | |
| Dec 10, 2005 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 111-106 | |
| Dec 13, 2005 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 100-94 | |
| Dec 15, 2005 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 94-85 | |
| Dec 17, 2005 | vs. Miami Heat | W 115-107 | |
| Dec 20, 2005 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 110-85 | |
| Dec 22, 2005 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 108-100 | |
| Dec 23, 2005 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 94-89 | |
| Dec 26, 2005 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 102-91 | |
| Dec 27, 2005 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 96-91 | |
| Dec 31, 2005 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 97-84 | |
| Jan 04, 2006 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 91-84 | |
| Jan 05, 2006 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 90-81 | |
| Jan 07, 2006 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 96-88 | |
| Jan 10, 2006 | vs. New York Knicks | L 92-84 | |
| Jan 12, 2006 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 99-98 | |
| Jan 14, 2006 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 115-106 | |
| Jan 15, 2006 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 89-87 | |
| Jan 18, 2006 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 90-89 | |
| Jan 20, 2006 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 99-79 | |
| Jan 21, 2006 | @ Utah Jazz | W 108-90 | |
| Jan 24, 2006 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 96-66 | |
| Jan 25, 2006 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 106-97 | |
| Jan 27, 2006 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 93-89 | |
| Jan 29, 2006 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 113-106 | |
| Jan 30, 2006 | @ Charlotte Bobcats | W 103-91 | |
| Feb 01, 2006 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 91-85 | |
| Feb 02, 2006 | @ Miami Heat | L 101-73 | |
| Feb 04, 2006 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 100-95 | |
| Feb 06, 2006 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 89-86 | |
| Feb 08, 2006 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 97-91 | |
| Feb 10, 2006 | @ Washington Wizards | L 101-89 | |
| Feb 11, 2006 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 99-91 | |
| Feb 13, 2006 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 101-87 | |
| Feb 15, 2006 | @ Boston Celtics | W 113-109 | |
| Feb 21, 2006 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 105-92 | |
| Feb 22, 2006 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 116-107 | |
| Feb 24, 2006 | vs. Washington Wizards | L 102-94 | |
| Feb 26, 2006 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 90-78 | |
| Feb 27, 2006 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 84-72 | |
| Mar 01, 2006 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 97-90 | |
| Mar 02, 2006 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 92-91 | |
| Mar 05, 2006 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 91-72 | |
| Mar 07, 2006 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 106-99 | |
| Mar 08, 2006 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 98-97 | |
| Mar 10, 2006 | @ Orlando Magic | L 102-73 | |
| Mar 12, 2006 | @ Miami Heat | L 98-92 | |
| Mar 14, 2006 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 91-87 | |
| Mar 17, 2006 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 99-84 | |
| Mar 19, 2006 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 96-95 | |
| Mar 22, 2006 | vs. Charlotte Bobcats | W 120-118 | |
| Mar 24, 2006 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 94-82 | |
| Mar 26, 2006 | @ Houston Rockets | W 104-102 | |
| Mar 29, 2006 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 107-94 | |
| Apr 01, 2006 | vs. Miami Heat | W 106-99 | |
| Apr 02, 2006 | @ Charlotte Bobcats | W 101-97 | |
| Apr 04, 2006 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 124-91 | |
| Apr 05, 2006 | @ New York Knicks | L 96-94 | |
| Apr 08, 2006 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 108-102 | |
| Apr 10, 2006 | @ New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | W 103-101 | |
| Apr 12, 2006 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 96-73 | |
| Apr 13, 2006 | vs. New York Knicks | W 91-87 | |
| Apr 16, 2006 | @ Washington Wizards | L 104-92 | |
| Apr 17, 2006 | @ Boston Celtics | W 93-88 | |
| Apr 19, 2006 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 100-99 |