1987-88 NBA
Early Three-Point Era
Los Angeles Lakers won the title.
- Teams
- 23
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 99.6
- Points per team game
- 108.2
- League true shooting
- .538
- Share of shots from three
- 5.7%
Award winners
- MVPMichael Jordan
- Defensive Player of the YearMichael Jordan
- Rookie of the YearMark Jackson
- Sixth ManRoy Tarpley
- Most ImprovedKevin Duckworth
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 57 | 25 | 6.15 | Lost conf. finals |
| Detroit Pistons | 54 | 28 | 5.46 | Lost Finals |
| Atlanta Hawks | 50 | 32 | 4.02 | Lost conf. finals |
| Chicago Bulls | 50 | 32 | 3.76 | Lost conf. finals |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 42 | 40 | 1.28 | Lost conf. finals |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | 1.21 | Lost conf. finals |
| Indiana Pacers | 38 | 44 | -0.18 | Missed playoffs |
| New York Knicks | 38 | 44 | 0.14 | Lost 2nd round |
| Washington Bullets | 38 | 44 | -0.16 | Lost 1st round |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 36 | 46 | -0.79 | Missed playoffs |
| New Jersey Nets | 19 | 63 | -6.98 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 62 | 20 | 4.81 | Won title |
| Denver Nuggets | 54 | 28 | 3.32 | Lost conf. finals |
| Dallas Mavericks | 53 | 29 | 3.59 | Lost conf. finals |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 53 | 29 | 3.59 | Lost conf. finals |
| Utah Jazz | 47 | 35 | 2.96 | Lost conf. finals |
| Houston Rockets | 46 | 36 | 0.82 | Lost 2nd round |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 44 | 38 | 1.29 | Lost conf. finals |
| San Antonio Spurs | 31 | 51 | -5.02 | Lost 1st round |
| Phoenix Suns | 28 | 54 | -4.80 | Missed playoffs |
| Sacramento Kings | 24 | 58 | -5.84 | Missed playoffs |
| Golden State Warriors | 20 | 62 | -8.38 | Missed playoffs |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 17 | 65 | -10.24 | 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.