2008-09 NBA
Post-Hand-Check Era
Los Angeles Lakers won the title.
- Teams
- 30
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 91.7
- Points per team game
- 100.0
- League true shooting
- .544
- Share of shots from three
- 22.4%
Award winners
- MVPLeBron James
- Defensive Player of the YearDwight Howard
- Rookie of the YearDerrick Rose
- Sixth ManJason Terry
- Most ImprovedDanny Granger
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 66 | 16 | 8.68 | Lost conf. finals |
| Boston Celtics | 62 | 20 | 7.44 | Lost conf. finals |
| Orlando Magic | 59 | 23 | 6.48 | Lost Finals |
| Atlanta Hawks | 47 | 35 | 1.70 | Lost conf. finals |
| Miami Heat | 43 | 39 | 0.49 | Lost conf. finals |
| Chicago Bulls | 41 | 41 | -0.16 | Lost conf. finals |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 41 | 41 | 0.16 | Lost 1st round |
| Detroit Pistons | 39 | 43 | -0.36 | Lost 2nd round |
| Indiana Pacers | 36 | 46 | -0.76 | Missed playoffs |
| Charlotte Bobcats | 35 | 47 | -1.20 | Missed playoffs |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 34 | 48 | -0.88 | Missed playoffs |
| New Jersey Nets | 34 | 48 | -2.31 | Missed playoffs |
| Toronto Raptors | 33 | 49 | -2.54 | Missed playoffs |
| New York Knicks | 32 | 50 | -2.33 | Missed playoffs |
| Washington Wizards | 19 | 63 | -6.98 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 65 | 17 | 7.11 | Won title |
| Denver Nuggets | 54 | 28 | 3.13 | Lost conf. finals |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 54 | 28 | 5.00 | Lost conf. finals |
| San Antonio Spurs | 54 | 28 | 3.36 | Lost conf. finals |
| Houston Rockets | 53 | 29 | 3.73 | Lost conf. finals |
| Dallas Mavericks | 50 | 32 | 1.68 | Lost conf. finals |
| New Orleans Hornets | 49 | 33 | 1.41 | Lost 2nd round |
| Utah Jazz | 48 | 34 | 2.31 | Lost 1st round |
| Phoenix Suns | 46 | 36 | 1.62 | Missed playoffs |
| Golden State Warriors | 29 | 53 | -3.80 | Missed playoffs |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 24 | 58 | -5.23 | Missed playoffs |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 24 | 58 | -4.74 | Missed playoffs |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 23 | 59 | -6.04 | Missed playoffs |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 19 | 63 | -8.47 | Missed playoffs |
| Sacramento Kings | 17 | 65 | -8.60 | Missed playoffs |
Rules in force
| Free-throw lane width | 16 ft |
|---|---|
| Restricted area arc | 4 ft arc |
| Three-point line | 23 ft 9 in (22 ft corners) |
| Arm bar / forearm contact | banned on the perimeter (source pending) |
| Defensive three seconds | enforced |
| Hand-checking | banned on the perimeter |
| Zone defense | legal |
| Flagrant fouls | flagrant 1 / flagrant 2 (source pending) |
| Team foul penalty (bonus) | bonus after team foul limit |
| Backcourt count | 8 seconds |
| 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.