1973–74 Cleveland Cavaliers season

1973–74 Cleveland Cavaliers season
1973–74 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Head coach	Bill Fitch
Arena	Cleveland Arena
Results
Record	29–53 (.354)
Place	Division: 4th (Central); Conference: 7th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Did Not Qualify
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WEWS-TV; (Gib Shanley, Hal Lebovitz)
Radio	WWWE; (Joe Tait)
< 1972–73	1974–75 >

The 1973–74 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the fourth season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 29–53 record, finishing last in the Central Division and 7th Eastern Conference. Austin Carr was named an All-Star and set the team record for points per game. The Cavaliers played, and won, their last game in Cleveland Arena.

Offseason[]

Trades[]

April 24: Cavaliers trade center Rick Roberson and forward John Johnson and switch positions in the first round of the 1973 NBA draft with the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for the Trail Blazers' first round choice and four other draft choices. The Cavaliers select forward Jim Brewer with Portland's first pick.

Draft picks[]

Roster[]

1973–74 Cleveland Cavaliers roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	DOB (YYYY-MM-DD)	From
PF	52	Brewer, Jim	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	1951-12-03	Minnesota
G	34	Carr, Austin	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Mar. 10, 1948	Notre Dame
G	35	Cleamons, Jim	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Sep. 13, 1949	Ohio State
F	40	Clemens, Barry	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	May 1, 1943	Ohio Wesleyan
F	42	Davis, Dwight	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Oct. 28, 1949	Houston
C	50	Patterson, Steve	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Jun. 24, 1948	UCLA
G/F	7	Smith, Bingo	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Feb. 26, 1946	Tulsa
G	11	Warren, John	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jul. 7, 1947	St. John's
G	19	Wilkens, Lenny	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Oct. 28, 1937	Providence
C	44	Witte, Luke	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	1950-10-19	Ohio State

Head coach

Bill Fitch

Legend

(C) Team captain
(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Regular season[]

Season standings[]

Central Division v t	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
y-Capital Bullets	47	35	.573	–	31–10	15–25	1–0	14–8
Atlanta Hawks	35	47	.427	12	23–18	12–25	0–4	13–9
Houston Rockets	32	50	.390	15	18–23	13–25	1–2	9–13
Cleveland Cavaliers	29	53	.354	18	18–23	11–28	0–2	8–14

#	Eastern Conference v t
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Boston Celtics	56	26	.683	–
2	x-New York Knicks	49	33	.598	7
3	y-Capital Bullets	47	35	.573	9
4	x-Buffalo Braves	42	40	.512	14

5	Atlanta Hawks	35	47	.427	21
6	Houston Rockets	32	50	.390	24
7	Cleveland Cavaliers	29	53	.354	27
8	Philadelphia 76ers	25	57	.305	31

Record vs. opponents[]

1973–74 NBA records
Team	ATL	BOS	BUF	CAP	CHI	CLE	DET	GSW	HOU	KCO	LAL	MIL	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SEA
Atlanta	—	1–5	2–4	4–4	1–3	4–3	0–4	1–3	5–2	1–3	4–0	1–3	1–5	3–3	1–3	2–2	4–0
Boston	5–1	—	5–2	2–4	2–2	4–2	3–1	3–1	4–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	5–2	7–1	3–1	4–0	2–2
Buffalo	4–2	2–5	—	3–3	1–3	5–1	1–3	1–3	4–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	4–4	6–1	3–1	3–1	2–2
Capital	4–4	4–2	3–3	—	1–3	6–1	2–2	3–1	4–3	3–1	2–2	1–3	3–3	4–2	2–2	3–1	2–2
Chicago	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	—	4–0	5–2	4–2	4–0	5–2	1–5	3–3	2–2	3–1	4–2	4–2	4–2
Cleveland	3–4	2–4	1–5	1–6	0–4	—	2–2	0–4	4–4	0–4	3–1	0–4	1–5	5–1	1–3	4–0	2–2
Detroit	4–0	1–3	3–1	2–2	2–5	2–2	—	5–1	3–1	4–2	4–2	3–4	1–3	2–2	6–0	5–1	5–1
Golden State	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	2–4	4–0	1–5	—	4–0	3–3	4–2	3–3	1–3	3–1	5–2	3–4	3–3
Houston	2–5	2–4	2–4	3–4	0–4	4–4	1–3	0–4	—	2–2	2–2	0–4	4–2	4–2	2–2	3–1	1–3
Kansas City-Omaha	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–5	4–0	2–4	3–3	2–2	—	1–5	0–7	1–3	1–3	4–2	4–2	2–4
Los Angeles	0–4	2–2	4–0	2–2	5–1	1–3	2–4	2–4	2–2	5–1	—	4–2	2–2	4–0	4–2	4–3	4–3
Milwaukee	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–3	4–0	4–3	3–3	4–0	7–0	2–4	—	2–2	4–0	5–1	6–0	4–2
New York	5–1	2–5	4–4	3–3	2–2	5–1	3–1	3–1	2–4	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	4–3	3–1	2–2	4–0
Philadelphia	3–3	1–7	1–6	2–4	1–3	1–5	2–2	1–3	2–4	3–1	0–4	0–4	3–4	—	3–1	2–2	0–4
Phoenix	3–1	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–4	3–1	0–6	2–5	2–2	2–4	2–4	1–5	1–3	1–3	—	3–3	4–3
Portland	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–4	0–4	1–5	4–3	1–3	2–4	3–4	0–6	2–2	2–2	3–3	—	3–3
Seattle	0–4	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–4	2–2	1–5	3–3	3–1	4–2	3–4	2–4	0–4	4–0	3–4	3–3	—

Game log[]

1973–74 game log
Total: 29–53 (Home: 18–23; Road: 11–28; Neutral: 0–2)

October: 2–7 (Home: 2–4; Road: 0–3)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record

November: 7–9 (Home: 4–4; Road: 3–5)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
12	November 4, 1973	Atlanta	L 110–115				Cleveland Arena 3,587	2–10

December: 5–11 (Home: 3–6; Road: 2–5)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
36	December 22, 1973	@ Atlanta	W 108–98				The Omni 5,802	13–23
41	December 30, 1973	Atlanta	L 94–99				Cleveland Arena 6,442	14–27

January: 5–9 (Home: 2–2; Road: 3–7)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
43	January 5, 1974	@ Atlanta	L 86–99				The Omni 7,370	14–29
54	January 29, 1974	Atlanta	W 118–111				Cleveland Arena 4,543	19–35

February: 4–11 (Home: 2–7; Road: 2–4)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
61	February 9, 1974	@ Atlanta	L 90–99				The Omni 5,534	19–42

March: 6–6 (Home: 5–0; Road: 1–6)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
75	March 12, 1974	Atlanta	W 95–84				Cleveland Arena 4,514	25–50

1973–74 schedule