By Bill Nichols

CLEVELAND – Cavaliers Owner Ted Stepien, as unpredictable as the weather, gave Cleveland its fourth coach of the season March 8 when he fired Chuck Daly after 41 games and put Bill Musselman back on the bench.

When Stepien bought the Cavaliers in 1980, he made Musselman coach, but relieved him with 11 games to go in the 1980-81 season and installed General Manager Don Delaney as coach. Musselman became the G. M.

After 14 games of the current season, Delaney was taken off the bench, assistant coach Bob Kloppenburg coached one game and Daly, a Philadelphia 76ers assistant, was lured to Cleveland as head coach. Now, Musselman is back in charge. Confusing? You bet.

Since Stepien’s takeover, the Cavs have been dismantled from the club that won 37 games in 1979-80 and showed promise of better things to come.

Stepien and Musselman began wheeling and dealing. They haven’t stopped yet. Their first team won 28 games. Through March 10, the Cavs have won 41 games and lost 100 in two years under Stepien’s ownership.

Stepien and Musselman had rid the Cavaliers of first-round draft choices until 1987. However, they recouped a No. 1 pick for this year in a trade with Detroit.

A perfectly respectable NBA franchise has been turned into an NBA joke.

Daly left Cleveland, frustrated, disappointed, but richer because Stepien paid him about $275,000 of the three-year $480,000 contract. Ironically, Daly was axed after the Cavs’ 100th defeat under the Stepien banner.

Two years ago, the Cavaliers had four owners in less than three months and now they have tied an NBA record set by the old Toronto Huskies in 1946-47 with four coaches in one season.

There is not one player on the Cavaliers’ roster who was with the team when Stepien took control. However, the team that was 13-45 this season through March 10 had two players making $700,000 each, center James Edwards and forward Scott Wedman. Bobby Wilkerson’s salary was $450,000 and James Silas was earning around $300,000. That’s a hefty price for so few victories.

Daly was doomed in Cleveland from the beginning.

First, he took over a team during the season without the benefit of a training camp. Losing habits already had been established.

Secondly, Daly wanted no interference from the boss. That was impossible. Stepien prides himself in being an activist owner.

Stepien wanted immediate success. He promised Cleveland fans the Cavs would make the playoffs. It was just a pipe dream.

After firing Daly, who was a four-year assistant for Billy Cunningham at Philadelphia, Stepien said, “I felt he got a fair shake. He knew exactly what our situation was. He knew our talent.”

“I don’t feel guilty at all. I don’t feel Chuck ever totally accepted us. He had a great opportunity. I don’t think he’ll ever get it again. Somehow he was always comparing us to Philadelphia.”

Stepien then reflected on Musselman as coach.

“I didn’t realize what a good job Bill did last year with the talent we had,” Stepien said, neglecting to point out the talent was procured by Musselman. “Bill won 25 games with a team of Mike Bratz, Roger Phegley, Mike Mitchell, Bill Laimbeer and really, no bench.”

Bratz, Phegley and Mitchell are key members of the Midwest Division front-runners, the San Antonio Spurs, and Laimbeer is the starting pivot for Detroit. Since February 15, Laimbeer has been the leading rebounder in the league, averaging 16.6 boards per game.

After the firing was announced, Daly headed for a nearby watering hole and sipped champagne. Others who knew him showed up and a party ensued.

“It was an experience like I’ve never gone through,” said Daily, 51. “Things were getting bad three weeks after I was hired and by the time I was here a month, I knew I was in for a rough time.”

It’s unfortunate. I gave up 10 years of basketball in Philly (five at Penn and nearly five with the Sixers). People have to understand that it takes time, but he (Stepien) was impatient.

“I will never make the same mistake again. I will never take over a team during the season.”

Musselman, in getting his second chance as an NBA head coach said, “Who has it made, Daly or me?”

Musselman is listed as an interim coach, but a few victories will ensure his employment at least during the next training camp.

Daly immediately was rumored as in the derby for the Chicago Bulls coaching job next season. Phoenix assistant Al Bianchi has turned down interviews for head coaching jobs in the past, but may at least talk with Chicago when he sees what kind of salaries coaches command these days.