With the amount of great players to have played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the all-time starting lineup would have to be pretty solid, right? Here’s a look at the best players at each position in the form of an all-time starting lineup for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Point Guard
Kyrie Irving kicks off the lineup at the starting point guard position. Averaging 21.6 points and 5.5 assists with a 47.2 field-goal percentage over his six seasons as a Cavalier, Irving is the best point guard to have played for Cleveland. A four-time all-star and possessing possibly the best handles of all time, along with hitting the most iconic shot in Cavaliers history (that wasn’t shot over a Cavalier by Michael Jordan) to win Cleveland’s only championship, it’s hard to say that anyone else is the definitive best point guard.
Shooting Guard
Mr. Cavalier himself, Austin Carr, is the best shooting guard in Cavaliers’ history. Although only making the all-star team once (in 1974) he averaged 16.2 points, 3 rebounds and almost 3 assists across his nine seasons in Cleveland. He also managed to score over 40 points twice and scored over 30 points 33 times (extremely impressive for a player in his era). Going on to cover Cavaliers games in his retirement, Carr is currently the best shooting guard to have played for Cleveland. However, Donovan Mitchell is sniffing that title and may just grab it if he can extend his stay long enough.
Small Forward
The best small forward in Cavaliers history, and possibly the best player in Cavaliers history, is Lebron James. Spending a total of 11 seasons in a Cavaliers uniform James averaged 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game with a shooting percentage just a shave under 50 percent. He had nine games in which he scored 50 points or more, 64 triple-doubles, 10 all-star appearances, five finals appearances, one scoring championship and one NBA championship. He’s also done a lot of work to improve his community, starting The Lebron James Family Foundation to help underprivileged children in Akron, Ohio. Unlike some of the other players on this list, it’s hard to imagine anyone else ever being a better Cavaliers forward than Lebron James.
Power Forward
Coming in at the Starting power forward spot is Larry Nance. Spending seven seasons in Cleveland, Nance averaged 16.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.5 blocks on a 53 percent clip. He also represented Cleveland twice in the all-star game, with three years between his first and second appearances. This speaks to both his consistency and longevity, both big reasons why he’s at this spot.
Center
Brad Daugherty is the best center to have played for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Over his eight seasons he almost averaged a double-double with 19 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. This play led him to five all-star appearances while in Cleveland. He is also the only player on this list to spend his entire career with the Cavs. It’s not the reason why he’s a part of the all-time Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineup, but it does fittingly represent his embodiment of Cleveland basketball.
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Featured photo courtesy of NBA.com
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- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/sports/all-time-starting-lineup-for-the-cleveland-cavaliers/2023/09/02/
