1980–81 Cleveland Cavaliers season

1980–81 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Head coach
General managerDon Delaney
Owner(s)Ted Stepien
ArenaColiseum at Richfield
Results
Record28–54 (.341)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Central)
Conference: 9th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWUAB
RadioWWWE
< 1979–80 1981–82 >

The 1980-81 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 11th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Draft picks[edit]

Main article: 1980 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Nationality School/Club Team

Roster[edit]

1980–81 Cleveland Cavaliers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
C 52 Batton, Dave 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Notre Dame
G 23 Bratz, Mike 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Stanford
F 32 Carr, Kenny 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) NC State
G 21 Calvin, Mack 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) USC
F 35 Ford, Don 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) UC Santa Barbara
G 20 Huston, Geoff 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Texas Tech
F 40 Jordan, Walter 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 198 lb (90 kg) Purdue
C 41 Laimbeer, Bill 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Notre Dame
F 30 Mitchell, Mike 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Auburn
G 15 Phegley, Roger 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Bradley
G 9 Smith, Randy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Buffalo State
F 31 Washington, Richard 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) UCLA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season[edit]

Season standings[edit]

Central Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Milwaukee Bucks 60 22 .732 – 34–7 26–15 23–7
x-Chicago Bulls 45 37 .549 15.0 26–15 19–22 20–9
x-Indiana Pacers 44 38 .537 16.0 27–14 17–24 17–12
Atlanta Hawks 31 51 .378 29.0 20–21 11–30 9–21
Cleveland Cavaliers 28 54 .341 32.0 20–21 8–33 9–21
Detroit Pistons 21 61 .256 39.0 14–27 7–34 9–21
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Boston Celtics 62 20 .756  –
2 y-Milwaukee Bucks 60 22 .732 2
3 x-Philadelphia 76ers 62 20 .756 –
4 x-New York Knicks 50 32 .610 12
5 x-Chicago Bulls 45 37 .549 17
6 x-Indiana Pacers 44 38 .537 18
7 Washington Bullets 39 43 .476 23
8 Atlanta Hawks 31 51 .378 31
9 Cleveland Cavaliers 28 54 .341 34
10 New Jersey Nets 24 58 .293 38
11 Detroit Pistons 21 61 .256 41

Notes

  • z, y – division champions
  • x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents[edit]

1980-81 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA UTA WAS
Atlanta — 2–4 2–4 1–5 2–0 1–1 4–2 2–0 1–1 1–5 1–1 0–2 1–5 3–2 2–4 1–5 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–4
Boston 4–2 — 5–1 4–1 2–0 2–0 4–1 1–1 2–0 3–3 1–1 2–0 3–3 6–0 5–1 3–3 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 5–1
Chicago 4–2 1–5 — 5–1 1–1 1–1 5–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–0 1–1 3–3 3–2 3–3 2–4 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 5–1
Cleveland 5–1 1–4 1–5 — 2–0 1–1 3–3 1–1 0–2 2–4 0–2 0–2 0–6 3–3 0–5 0–6 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 4–2
Dallas 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 — 3–3 0–2 2–3 0–6 0–2 0–6 0–5 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–4 1–4 1–5 2–3 1–4 1–5 0–2
Denver 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3 — 2–0 3–2 2–4 1–1 4–2 3–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–4 2–3 2–4 3–2 3–2 2–4 0–2
Detroit 2–4 1–4 1–5 3–3 2–0 0–2 — 0–2 1–1 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–5 3–3 1–5 1–4 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–5
Golden State 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–3 2–0 — 3–2 1–1 5–0 1–5 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 2–4 2–4 1–4 2–4 3–3 4–1 1–1
Houston 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 6–0 4–2 1–1 2–3 — 1–1 2–4 2–3 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 1–4 3–2 3–3 1–4 4–1 4–2 0–2
Indiana 5–1 3–3 2–3 4–2 2–0 1–1 4–2 1–1 1–1 — 2–0 0–2 2–4 5–1 3–2 0–6 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 4–2
Kansas City 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 6–0 2–4 1–1 0–5 4–2 0–2 — 0–5 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 3–2 3–2 2–4 3–2 2–3 5–1 1–1
Los Angeles 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 5–0 2–3 2–0 5–1 3–2 2–0 5–0 — 0–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–4 3–3 2–3 3–3 6–0 3–2 1–1
Milwaukee 5–1 3–3 3–3 6–0 2–0 1–1 5–1 1–1 2–0 4–2 1–1 2–0 — 5–1 3–3 3–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–1
New Jersey 2–3 0–6 2–3 3–3 1–1 1–1 3–3 1–1 0–2 1–5 0–2 0–2 1–5 — 0–6 1–5 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3
New York 4–2 1–5 3–3 5–0 1–1 2–0 5–1 0–2 2–0 2–3 1–1 0–2 3–3 6–0 — 3–3 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–2
Philadelphia 5–1 3–3 4–2 6–0 2–0 1–1 4–1 2–0 2–0 6–0 2–0 1–1 2–3 5–1 3–3 — 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–2
Phoenix 2–0 0–2 2–0 1–1 4–1 4–1 2–0 4–2 4–1 1–1 2–3 4–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 — 3–3 3–2 6–0 5–1 5–0 1–1
Portland 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 4–1 3–2 2–0 4–2 2–3 2–0 2–3 3–3 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3 — 2–3 4–2 4–2 2–3 2–0
San Antonio 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 5–1 4–2 2–0 4–1 3–3 0–2 4–2 3–2 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 2–3 3–2 — 4–1 3–2 5–1 1–1
San Diego 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–3 1–1 4–2 4–1 1–1 2–3 3–3 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–6 2–4 1–4 — 5–1 3–2 0–2
Seattle 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 4–1 2–3 2–0 3–3 1–4 2–0 3–2 0–6 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–5 2–4 2–3 1–5 — 4–1 1–1
Utah 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 5–1 4–2 2–0 1–4 2–4 1–1 1–5 2–3 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–5 3–2 1–5 2–3 1–4 — 0–2
Washington 4–1 1–5 1–5 2–4 2–0 2–0 5–1 1–1 2–0 2–4 1–1 1–1 1–4 3–3 2–4 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 —

Game log[edit]

1980–81 game log
Total: 28–54 (Home: 20–21; Road: 8–33)
October: 4–8 (home: 3–3; road: 1–5)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
November: 4–10 (home: 4–3; road: 0–7)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
19 November 13, 1980 Atlanta W 114–111 Coliseum at Richfield
3,987 		5–14
December: 5–9 (home: 4–5; road: 1–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
January: 9–5 (home: 5–2; road: 4–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
43 January 9, 1981 @ Atlanta W 108–107 (OT) The Omni
9,398 		16–27
51 January 23, 1981 @ Atlanta W 106–98 The Omni
9,820 		20–31
February: 3–9 (home: 3–4; road: 0–5)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
All-Star Break
64 February 21, 1981 Atlanta L 105–118 Coliseum at Richfield
8,231 		25–39
March: 3–13 (home: 1–4; road: 2–9)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
73 March 14, 1981 @ Atlanta W 112–110 (OT) The Omni
7,368 		26–47
75 March 17, 1981 Atlanta W 122–107 Coliseum at Richfield
4,288 		28–47
1980–81 schedule

Player statistics[edit]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Mike Mitchell 82 39.0 47.6 44.4 78.4 6.1 1.7 0.8 0.6 24.5
Kenny Carr 81 32.3 51.1 0.0 71.4 10.3 2.4 0.9 0.5 15.2
Randy Smith 82 26.8 46.6 3.6 81.5 2.4 4.4 1.4 0.2 14.6
Roger Phegley 82 27.7 49.1 28.6 83.9 3.0 2.2 0.8 0.2 14.4
Mike Bratz 80 32.4 39.0 33.7 81.1 2.5 5.7 1.7 0.2 10.0
Richard Washington 69 21.8 45.9 50.0 75.0 5.3 1.6 0.6 0.8 9.9
Bill Laimbeer 81 30.4 50.3 0.0 76.5 8.6 2.7 0.7 1.0 9.8
Dave Robisch 11 33.8 37.8 0.0 80.6 7.7 4.0 0.6 0.5 9.4
Robert Smith 1 20.0 40.0 0.0 100.0 3.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 8.0
Geoff Huston 25 21.7 49.7 0.0 81.5 1.6 4.7 0.5 0.0 7.0
Bill Robinzine 8 10.5 43.8 0.0 62.5 1.6 0.6 0.5 0.0 4.1
Don Ford 64 15.6 44.6 0.0 91.7 2.6 1.3 0.2 0.2 3.5
Chad Kinch 29 8.5 39.6 0.0 80.0 0.8 1.2 0.3 0.2 2.8
Mack Calvin 21 6.1 33.3 20.0 71.4 0.6 1.3 0.2 0.0 2.5
Walter Jordan 30 6.9 38.7 0.0 58.8 1.4 0.4 0.4 0.2 2.3
John Lambert 3 2.7 60.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 2.0
Jerome Whitehead 3 2.7 33.3 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.7

Player Statistics Citation:[1]

Awards and records[edit]

Awards[edit]

Records[edit]

Milestones[edit]

All-Star[edit]

Transactions[edit]

Free agents[edit]

Subtractions
Player Date signed New team
Austin Carr Expansion Draft May 28, 1980 Dallas Mavericks

References[edit]

  1. ^ "1980-81 Cleveland Cavaliers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
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