Having come into the NBA as an expansion team in 1970, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a relatively young franchise. Still, several talented point guards have worn the Wine and Gold over the years. In this piece, we'll take a look back at who we believe to be the five best.
5. World B. Free
Free came to the Cavaliers in 1982. And though his best years came with the Sixers (32.0 points per game in the 1979-80 campaign), he brought new life to Cleveland's fledgling franchise. He would go on to lead the team in scoring at nearly 24 points per game in the 1982-83 campaign, but the team could only muster a 23-59 record.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuOZ4cLC68E
4. Ron Harper
Prior to his days of playing for the Bulls alongside Michael Jordan, Ron Harper was a member of the Cavaliers. In fact, Cleveland selected the Dayton native with the 8th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft.
A solid defender and great scorer, Harper racked up 34 points in just his sixth game with the Cavs. He started all 82 games, averaging 22.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.5 steals. As a result of his fine play, he finished second in the NBA's Rookie of the Year voting.
Famously, Jordan later credited Harper as one of the few players in the league that could guard him at a decent clip.
3. Mo Williams
Williams played with the Cavaliers during LeBron James' first stint with the team. Cleveland acquired the Alabama native in a three-team, six player deal.
Alongside James, Williams helped the Cavs record a league-best 66-16 overall record for the 2008-09 regular season, including a 39-2 mark at home (then Quicken Loans Arena, now Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse).
Williams was traded to the Clippers in 2011, but he would return to the Cavs in 2015, shortly after LeBron announced that he was coming home.
2. Mark Price
Mark Price is a name that should be mentioned at the top of any list of great NBA point guards, no matter the team. Known as one of the most consistent shooters in the league's history, the Oklahoma native finished his career with a 90.4 percent free-throw percentage and a 40 percent three-point field goal shooting percentage.
To this day, Price ranks near the top in several all-time categories for the Cavaliers, including total assists (2nd, 4,206), assists per game (5th, 7.2) and three-point field goals made (2nd, 802).
1. Kyrie Irving
Our No. 1 spot on this list goes to Kyrie Irving, who helped lead the Cavaliers to their first championship in 2016.
“Uncle Drew,” as he came to be known, is one of the best ball handlers in NBA history. His shot over Stephen Curry in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals will live on in the heart of Cavs fans for years to come, despite the fact that he later asked for (and received) a trade.
Alongside Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and LeBron James, Kyrie Irving was a part of the best era in Cleveland basketball.
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