1970–71 Cleveland Cavaliers season
| 2024–25 [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bill Fitch |
| Arena | Cleveland Arena |
| Results | |
| Place | Division: 4th Conference: 8th |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1970-71 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the inaugural season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 15-67 record in their first season, finishing last in the Central Division and Eastern Conference. John Johnson was named an All-Star, the first in franchise history.
Key Dates:
Offseason
Expansion Draft
- As an expansion (first year) franchise, the Cavaliers chose 11 players from other NBA teams in the 'expansion draft.'
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Butch Beard | Guard | Atlanta Hawks |
| Len Chappell | Center | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Johnny Egan | Guard | LA Lakers |
| Bobby Lewis | Guard | San Francisco Warriors |
| McCoy McLemore | Center | Detroit Pistons |
| Don Ohl | Guard | Atlanta Hawks |
| Walt Wesley | Center | Chicago Bulls |
| Loy Peterson | Guard | Chicago Bulls |
| Luther Rackley | Center | Cincinnati Royals |
| Bobby Smith | Guard | San Diego Rockets |
| John Warren | Guard | New York Knickerbockers |
Free Agents
Trades
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | John Johnson | Forward |  United States
|
California |
| 2 | 26 | Dave Sorenson | Forward | United States
|
Ohio State |
| 3 | 41 | Surry Oliver | Guard | United States
|
Stephen F. Austin |
| 4 | 60 | Glen Vidnovic | Forward | United States
|
Iowa |
| 5 | 75 | Wayne Sokolowski | Forward | United States
|
Ashland |
| 6 | 94 | Joe Cooke | Guard | United States
|
Indiana |
| 7 | 109 | Narvis Anderson | Forward | United States
|
Stephen F. Austin |
| 8 | 128 | Walt Robertson | Forward | United States
|
Loyola |
| 9 | 143 | Tom Lagodich | Guard | United States
|
Kent State |
| 10 | 162 | Ken Johnson | Forward | United States
|
Indiana |
Roster
Regular Depth Chart
Player Salaries
Regular season
Season standings
Game log
November
Record: ; Home: ; Road:
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Attendance | Record |
| 1 |
December
Record: ; Home: ; Road:
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Attendance | Record |
January
Record: ; Home: ; Road:
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Attendance | Record |
February
Record: ; Home: ; Road:
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Attendance | Record |
March
Record: ; Home: ; Road:
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Attendance | Record |
April
Record: ; Home: ; Road:
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Attendance | Record |
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; GS = Games started; MIN= Minutes; FG% = field goal %, FT% = free throw %, 3FG% = 3 point % STL= Steals; BLK = Blocks; AST = Assists; REB = Rebounds; PTS = Points
Regular Season
Playoffs