2018–19 Cleveland Cavaliers season
The 2018–19 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 49th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Cavaliers entered the season as the four-time defending Eastern Conference champion, and were coming off of an NBA Finals loss, in which they were swept by the Golden State Warriors in four games, the first Finals sweep since 2007, in which the Cavs were also swept, by the San Antonio Spurs. The Cavaliers had the worst team defensive rating in the NBA.
| 2018–19 Cleveland Cavaliers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
|
| General manager | Koby Altman |
| Owner(s) | Dan Gilbert |
| Arena | Quicken Loans Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 19–63 (.232) |
| Place | Division: 5th (Central) Conference: 14th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Fox Sports Ohio |
| Radio |
|
LeBron James was not on the roster for the first time since 2013-14, as he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason as a free agent, his second time leaving his hometown team after doing so in 2010 to join the Miami Heat.
On October 28, 2018, the Cavaliers fired Tyronn Lue after a 0–6 start (the worst start for a team coming off the NBA Finals) and replaced him on the interim basis with his assistant Larry Drew, who would become permanent coach on November 5.
Without LeBron James, as with the 2010–11 season (James' first departure from Cleveland), the Cavaliers struggled to find a solid identity, ranking in the bottom 10 in all of points per game, opponent points per game, pace, offensive rating, and defensive rating. They finished at 19–63, the third worst record in the league, second worst in the Eastern Conference, and their worst season since 2010–11. This was also the Cavs' first losing season since the 2013–14 season.