The only outlier in the top five, Zydrunas Ilgauskas is the most recent single season blocks per game leader in Cavaliers’ franchise history.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a number of talented rim protectors suit up in the wine and gold throughout their 56 years in the NBA. This article will dig into the greatest shot-blocking seasons in franchise history, with Larry Nance holding down four of the top five spots. Note that blocks did not become an official NBA stat until the 1973-74 season.
Larry Nance – 1992, 3.0 BPG
Nance, who played his first six and a half years as a pro with the Phoenix Suns from 1981 to 1988, set a career-high with 3.0 blocks per game during his age-32 season in 1991-92. He appeared in 81 contests and added 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 53.9% from the field and 82.2% from the line, also a career-best mark. Nance was rewarded with his second All-Defensive honor after tallying 18 outings with five or more swats, and his 25 double-doubles and one triple-double helped lead the Cavs to a 57-24 record. The 243 total blocks he registered are still the most in Cleveland’s franchise history.
Larry Nance – 1989, 2.8 BPG
In his first full campaign in Cleveland following the midseason trade from the Suns in 1988, Nance turned in arguably the best year of his professional tenure. At 29 years old, he earned his first-ever and only All-Defensive First Team selection, was named an All-Star for the second time, and finished 13th in MVP voting after posting 17.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.8 blocks across 73 games (72 starts). Nance recorded 17 double-doubles and swatted a single-game career-high 11 shots in a win over the New York Knicks.
Larry Nance – 1993, 2.6 BPG
Four years later, Nance’s 2.6 blocks a night he recorded during the 1992-93 season gives him a third entry on our list. It marked the seventh consecutive campaign in which he blocked at least 2.0 bpg, starting in 1987 as a member of the Suns. ‘Little Hawk’ appeared and started in 77 outings that year, putting up averages of 16.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 2.9 apg in addition to the swatted shots. Nance garnered a second straight All-Defensive Second Team selection and was named an All-Star for the third and final time in his 13-year career.
Larry Nance – 1991, 2.5 BPG
In 1990-91, Nance amassed 2.5 blocks while pouring in 19.2 points per game, his highest single-season scoring output in six and a half years as a Cavalier. ‘Flash Nance’ also grabbed 8.6 rpg and dished out 3.0 apg across 80 contests (78 starts), recording 26 double-doubles along the way. Over 433 total games with Cleveland, Nance compiled averages of 16.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.6 apg and 2.5 bpg, and he ranks third all-time in their history with 1,087 blocks.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas – 2004, 2.5 BPG
Foot injuries nearly derailed Ilgauskas’ career, as the 7-foot-3 center from Lithuania appeared in just 87 out of 328 possible games between 1996 and 2000, his first four years in the NBA. But ‘Big Z’, who spent 12 of his 13 active seasons with the Cavs, recovered and enjoyed a productive tenure as a pro. In 2003-04, Ilgauskas blocked a career-high 2.5 shots a night while playing and starting in 81 games, adding 15.3 points and 8.1 boards. Over the course of his 12 years in The Land, ‘Zabonis’ averaged 13.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 1.6 bpg across 771 outings and is their all-time leader in blocks (1,269).
