1986-87 NBA
Early Three-Point Era
Los Angeles Lakers won the title.
- Teams
- 23
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 100.8
- Points per team game
- 109.9
- League true shooting
- .538
- Share of shots from three
- 5.3%
Award winners
- MVPMagic Johnson
- Defensive Player of the YearMichael Cooper
- Rookie of the YearChuck Person
- Sixth ManRicky Pierce
- Most ImprovedDale Ellis
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 59 | 23 | 6.57 | Lost Finals |
| Atlanta Hawks | 57 | 25 | 7.18 | Lost conf. finals |
| Detroit Pistons | 52 | 30 | 3.51 | Lost conf. finals |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 50 | 32 | 4.04 | Lost conf. finals |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 45 | 37 | 0.11 | Lost conf. finals |
| Washington Bullets | 42 | 40 | -1.02 | Lost 2nd round |
| Indiana Pacers | 41 | 41 | -0.17 | Lost conf. finals |
| Chicago Bulls | 40 | 42 | 1.26 | Lost 1st round |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 31 | 51 | -3.19 | Missed playoffs |
| New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | -4.42 | Missed playoffs |
| New York Knicks | 24 | 58 | -5.42 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 65 | 17 | 8.32 | Won title |
| Dallas Mavericks | 55 | 27 | 5.54 | Lost 2nd round |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 49 | 33 | 2.57 | Lost conf. finals |
| Utah Jazz | 44 | 38 | 0.04 | Lost conf. finals |
| Golden State Warriors | 42 | 40 | -2.54 | Lost conf. finals |
| Houston Rockets | 42 | 40 | 0.60 | Lost conf. finals |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 39 | 43 | 0.08 | Lost conf. finals |
| Denver Nuggets | 37 | 45 | -1.14 | Lost 1st round |
| Phoenix Suns | 36 | 46 | -2.63 | Missed playoffs |
| Sacramento Kings | 29 | 53 | -3.34 | Missed playoffs |
| San Antonio Spurs | 28 | 54 | -5.09 | Missed playoffs |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 12 | 70 | -11.00 | Missed playoffs |
Rules in force
| Free-throw lane width | 16 ft |
|---|---|
| Three-point line | 23 ft 9 in (22 ft corners) |
| Arm bar / forearm contact | allowed (source pending) |
| Hand-checking | allowed |
| Zone defense | not permitted (source pending) |
| Team foul penalty (bonus) | bonus after team foul limit |
| Backcourt count | 10 seconds (source pending) |
| Shot clock | 24 seconds |
See how each rule changed over time on the rules timeline.
What changed this season
No league-wide rule or format changes recorded for this season.