2000–01 Cleveland Cavaliers season
| 2000–01 Cleveland Cavaliers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Randy Wittman |
| Arena | Gund Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 30–52 (.366) |
| Place | Division: 6th (Central) Conference: 11th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Fox Sports Net Ohio · WUAB |
| Radio | WTAM |
The 2000–01 NBA season was the 31st season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association. The Cavaliers received the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Jamal Crawford from the University of Michigan, but soon traded him to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for center, and top draft pick Chris Mihm from the University of Texas at Austin. During the off-season, the team acquired Chris Gatling and Clarence Weatherspoon from the Miami Heat in a three-team trade, Matt Harpring from the Orlando Magic, and Robert Traylor from the Milwaukee Bucks, while signing free agent Bimbo Coles.
The Cavaliers got off to a strong start winning nine of their first twelve games of the regular season, on their way to a solid 15–7 start. In January, the team traded Brevin Knight to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for former Ohio State University star Jim Jackson. However, the Cavaliers would struggle and lose 23 of their next 28 games, including a ten-game losing streak between January and February, finishing in sixth place in the Central Division with a disappointing 30–52 record.
Second-year star Andre Miller led the team with 15.8 points, 8.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while Lamond Murray averaged 12.8 points per game, and Weatherspoon provided the team with 11.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. In addition, Zydrunas Ilgauskas averaged 11.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, but only played just 24 games due to continuing foot injuries, while Gatling provided with 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game off the bench, Harpring contributed 11.1 points per game, and Mihm averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Following the season, Randy Wittman was fired as head coach, while Gatling was traded back to the Miami Heat, Jackson signed as a free agent with the Heat during the next season, Weatherspoon signed with the New York Knicks, and Harpring was traded along with Traylor to the Philadelphia 76ers, who then sent Traylor to the Charlotte Hornets.
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