Best rebounder in Cleveland Cavaliers history: Brad Daugherty
When looking back at Brad Daugherty’s career, it’s easy to wonder what could have been. Selected first overall by the Cavaliers in the 1986 NBA Draft — the same draft that produced his All-Star teammate Mark Price — Daugherty was looked at as a key piece that would keep the Cavaliers in title contention for the 1980’s and the 1990’s.
Unfortunately, his body had other ideas. Daugherty spent parts of eight seasons in Cleveland and became one of the better young post players in the league. He averaged 19 points and 9.5 rebounds per game during that span. His best season as a rebounder was in 1990-91 when he hauled in 10.0 per night.
Sadly, the injuries began to mount as he got older. He only played 50 games in during the 1993-94 season thanks to recurring back problems. These ailments forced him to miss two more seasons before finally retiring after the 1995-96 season.
As of 2018, Daugherty ranks fourth on the Cavaliers all-time rebounds per game list (9.5), sixth on the all-time offensive boards list (1,207), third on the all-time total rebounds list (5,227) and second on the all-time defensive rebounds list (4,020). But it has to sting a little to know that Daugherty could have been higher on all of those lists if his health hadn’t failed him.
In Daugherty, the Cavaliers thought they had an efficient double-double machine that could have kept the team competitive for a while. Instead, fans were left wondering what he could have become if his back held up. At the very least, he’ll go down as one of the best rebounders the Cavaliers have ever produced.