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Cleveland Cavaliers: All-Time Starting Five

By James D. Tillman III

Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after beating the Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after beating the Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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18 Dec 1993: Brad Daugherty of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the Cavaliers versus the Miami Heat at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida.
18 Dec 1993: Brad Daugherty of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the Cavaliers versus the Miami Heat at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida. /

Center: Brad Daugherty

Going into the 1986-87 campaign, the Cavaliers were not a very good ball club. For starters, the team had just finished the previous season with an abysmal 29-53 record.

Secondly, the Cavaliers had produced only one playoff appearance in eight seasons. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the team didn’t even have a head coach or general manager.

Talk about dire straits.

To help turn things around, the Cavs pulled off a brilliant trade that year. They sent Roy Hinson and cash to the Philadelphia 76ers for the top pick in the draft.

With the No. 1 pick in the 1986 draft, the Cavs selected Brad Daugherty from the University of North Carolina.

Daugherty did not disappoint, posting averages of 15.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest during his rookie season. During his eight-year run with the Cavs, he averaged an impressive 19.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

This includes a postseason average of 19.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per outing in five playoff appearances.

While injuries did shorten his career, Daugherty was a force in the middle for the Cavs for nearly a decade and he is definitely worthy of being labeled as the top center in history of this franchise.

Next: Power Forward

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