NBA: The Difference a Trade Makes

[HB62]

This is when the Suns had a drug scandal, and would have moved if Jerry Colangelo wouldn't have bought the team before the 87 stock market crash:

Thanks for this, definitely something to be explored in the next couple of updates.

Spurs leaving San Antonio? Sacrilege!

Jokes aside, wonder where they would play in Tampa since the arena now known as Amile Arena (home to the NHL’s Lightning) wouldn’t open until 1996 IOTL. Maybe it gets built earlier here.

Also, please find a way to keep the Suns in Phoenix! I can’t imagine my childhood without them!

More detail on the Tampa team to follow also, and we'll see about Phoenix

great timeline.. Len living is great to see. as a Celtics fan not liking losing at the Garden in the finals

Thanks very much. I just realized the 3rd final for Boston was actually won in LA, so just the two finals lost at home if it's any better!

 

[AltSptHst]

So, in this world, there is no four-team expansion in the late-80's, correct?

 

[HB62]

1987 - Offseason​

The 1987 offseason was one of changes in the NBA. Kareem Abdul-Jabber announced his retirement [1] not long after the Championship finals win over Detroit. The legendary Center would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame after his retirement and had his number 33 jersey retired in both Milwaukee and Los Angeles. Abdul-Jabbar retired with 6 NBA championship titles and numerous other awards and records.

Also changing was each conference size. With San Antonio moving to Tampa, it was confirmed that the relocated team would move to the Eastern conference to play in the Atlantic division. This meant the East division grew to 12 teams whilst the West shrunk to 11. The Midwest division would have 5 teams for the 1987/88 season. The full name for the Tampa team was announced not long after the end of the season. With the Spurs name intrinsically linked to the San Antonio area, the Tampa ownership canvassed the local area with possible options for the residents to give opinions on. Clearly, the people of Tampa were still upset about the fall of the Tampa Bay Bandits two years earlier because that was the name that was mentioned unprompted more than anything else during the research process. [2] With the former football team completely defunct, there was nothing in the way of the new NBA team taking up the same name. And so it was announced that the official branding of the team would be the Tampa Bay Bandits, playing in red and white jerseys. [3] (Red at home and White away). With the prospect of NBA in Tampa developing through the 80s, the idea of an arena was well underway by the time the team was officially granted the Spurs franchise. The still to be named multipurpose arena was signed off for construction in 1985 and scheduled to complete in 1989 [4]. The NBA allowed the Bandits to play their first two seasons using the USF Sun Dome as a temporary home.

The Bandits had other good news at the end of the season. Thanks to an unprotected draft pick acquired from Philadelphia, the new side would have two envelopes in the 1987 draft lottery. It wasn’t just the 76ers who had given away the chance at number one pick in 87. Atlanta had picked up the Golden State draft pick in last season's 5 team super trade, Milwaukee had acquired Utah’s pick and also given away their own to New York. The Bucks, however, would get to keep their own pick this season if it landed in the top five of the lottery. In this case the Knicks would get the Bucks’ 88 pick. And so it was only Tampa, Phoenix and Cleveland who would start the 1987 draft lottery with their own pick, with Milwaukee having the possibility of getting their one back depending on when they were drawn out.

And as it was, Milwaukee would keep their pick. First out was Atlanta, via the Golden State meaning they would get seventh pick. This was followed by Tampa Bay being awarded the sixth pick via Philadelphia. Cleveland, last by some way in the East, were only rewarded with the fifth pick which meant the Bucks were now guaranteed two of the top four picks. Perhaps slightly unluckily for Milwaukee, this translated into the third and fourth picks although they would still fancy their chances of improving. This left Phoenix and Tampa Bay to see who would get this year's number one pick. And perhaps rather fittingly, after two years of poor luck in the lottery as the Spurs, it would be Tampa Bay who were announced as having the number one pick in this year's draft. A sign perhaps of the changing fortunes for the relocated franchise. Phoenix would have to settle for their second, 2nd place pick in three years.

1987 Draft 1st Round

1	David Robinson	Tampa Bay Bandits
2	Kevin Johnson	Phoenix Suns
3	Dennis Hopson	Milwaukee Bucks (Via Utah)
4	Scottie Pippen	Milwaukee Bucks (Knicks receive 1988 pick)
5	Reggie Williams	Cleveland Cavaliers
6	Armen Gilliam	Tampa Bay Bandits (Via Philadelphia)
7	Reggie Miller	Atlanta Hawks (Via Golden State)
8	Kenny Smith	Washington Bullets (Via Atlanta)
9	Muggsy Bogues	Los Angeles Clippers
10	Mark Jackson	Chicago Bulls (Via Denver)
11	Horace Grant	Indiana Pacers
12	Derrick Mckey	Chicago Bulls
13	Olden Polynice	Washington Bullets
14	Reggie Lewis	Tampa Bay Bandits
15	Joe Wolf	Atlanta Hawks
16	Tellis Frank	Detroit Pistons
17	Ken Norman	Dallas Mavericks
18	Winston Garland	Sacramento Kings
19	Greg Anderson	Boston Celtics
20	Vincent Askew	Indiana Pacers
21	Doug Lee	New York Knicks
22	Donald Royal	Tampa Bay Bandits
23	Kevin Gamble	Los Angeles Lakers

The NBA announced that the 1988 all star game would be held in New York where the Knicks’ Michael Jordan would almost certainly be the star attraction.

In the theme of changes, the NBA embraced the world of free agency in 1987. After a new labor agreement, players reaching the end of their contract could be free to move without their former club receiving compensation if they met the qualifying requirement. It was set in place that as long as the player had been in the league for at least seven seasons and had played through two NBA contracts, the choice was theirs to choose a new destination.The first big mover of this was Alex English. English, who had been with Denver since 1980, would move approximately 500 miles west to join up with the Utah Jazz whilst Denver received nothing in return.

1987-88 Season Preview:​

In the East, there was a sense of a little more unknown heading into the 1987/88 season. Boston had fallen off of top spot for the first time in four seasons, overtaken by the Knicks. New York’s top 3 were as good as anyone's in the league, with Michael Jordan, Bernard King and Jack Sikma, but the 4-0 sweep by Detroit in the conference final exposed their weaknesses behind that. With New York still unable to improve their starting roster outside these three, there were question marks about their ability to go any further than last year. Detroit however had proven themselves finally capable of competing for the Championship, sweeping New York and taking the Lakers to game 7 last season. There was a growing feeling that Detroit needed a title soon after years of close calls. Boston failed to reach the final for the first time in four years last time out and perhaps a similar season this time out could lead Boston closer towards a rebuilding phase. The Nets had an excellent regular season last time out, bouncing back from missing the playoffs in 86 to finish fourth in conference. Led by the excellent Terry Cummings and youngster Brad Daugherty, the 1986 offseason had transformed the Nets into a team you’d now expect to see easily advance to the postseason. The Bulls showed towards the end of the season the team they can be with a full roster available. They missed Orlando Woolridge for most of the season but recovered from a poor start to make the playoffs before being eliminated in the first round by Boston. With Woolridge fit, and two first round draft picks strengthening the depth of the roster, expect Chicago to be back in positive figures for this season. The Hawks, despite losing Doc Rivers, managed to make the playoffs last time out thanks to a last day win over Chicago. Led by Dominique Wilkins who had led the scoring charts now for three seasons and having now added Reggie Miller in the draft, the expectation was that Hawks wouldn’t need to wait until the last game to secure a playoff spot this time out. Milwaukee had collapsed in the second half of last season, going from a top five position in the conference to missing the postseason. That did mean that they got the chance to keep hold of the draft pick they had trade to New York, which they used to draft Scottie Pippen. Pippen, as well as Dennis Hopson, could add much needed quality alongside Sidney Moncrief that gets Milwaukee back into the playoffs. Philadelphia must also be hoping for better this time around. There were plenty of rumors about the 76ers using Moses Malone to trade for future draft picks in the hope of rebuilding themselves back into the championship winning team of 1983, although those rumors hadn’t materialized as of the start of the season. The only thing going for Philadelphia was that the quality at the bottom of the East was low, and just having Malone might ensure they made the top 8 this time around. The mood in Tampa was one of excitement. Having taken on a franchise with 26 wins in their last two seasons combined, there was incredibly a genuine belief that Tampa might make the playoffs first go around. Chris Mullin had developed superbly by being thrust straight into a starting role, David Robinson had been granted an exemption from the Navy to join the NBA straight away after being drafted as first pick and Amen Gilliam had also looked promising in pre-season. If Tampa could get all three of these on the court and firing from the off, a strong first season in the Bay looked likely for the Bandits. After making the conference semi finals last time out, it feels like underestimating the Bullets again might be foolish. However, an injury to Rod Harper looked set to rule him out for a good portion of the season and Walter Davis had been absent through pre-season for undisclosed reasons. Without either of these two, Bullets’ roster just didn’t stack up to the rest and Washington could be in for a tough start. The Pacers had defied expectations to reach the postseason the last two years. Doing so last year meant they had missed out on any top draft picks though and their roster looked a little devoid of quality compared to those above them. Could they overachieve yet again? Unfortunately for Cleveland, they looked set for another difficult season especially after losing Eddie Johnson to Denver.

The West looked a little simpler on paper to decipher. There were question marks over how much the Lakers would miss Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but they had built themselves such a cushion over the rest of the conference it seemed unlikely to change things enough this season. Behind them, the Rockets should only keep improving and look set for 2nd seed once more. Portland had made five conference semifinals in a row, and with Clyde Drexler and Clark Kellogg saw no reason they wouldn’t make it 6. The Mavericks and Kings should continue improving with their young sides to make the playoffs with ease. Behind them, Golden State were a surprise to miss out on the playoffs and will be hoping for better this time out with their roster. The Clippers should also be in the top 8, being led by Adrian Dantley and Jeff Ruland. Although missing the playoffs may be beneficial if it avoids them being swept again by the Lakers. The last spot could be between Phoenix and Utah. Phoenix lost out to an Alex English led side last season and the same could happen again, unless Kevin Johnson can come in and make an impression straight away as 2nd pick from the 87 draft. Seattle again look weaker than their rivals but do have a habit of making the playoffs. That streak might end this season. Denver, having only just made the playoffs last time and now without Alex English might have to settle for just the regular 82 games this time around.

Eastern Conference Prediction:
1. Detroit Pistons
2. New York Knicks
3. Boston Celtics
4. New Jersey Nets
5. Chicago Bulls
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Milwaukee Bucks
8. Philadelphia 76ers
9. Tampa Bay Bandits
10. Indiana Pacers
11. Washington Bullets
12. Cleveland Cavaliers

Western Conference Prediction:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Houston Rockets
3. Portland Trail Blazers
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Sacramento Kings
6. Golden State Warriors
7. Los Angeles Clippers
8. Utah Jazz
9. Phoenix Suns
10. Seattle SuperSonics
11. Denver Nuggets
​

---

[1] - 2 years earlier than OTL, having already accomplished his 6 OTL titles by 1987 ITL Kareem goes out on a high over a Championship
[2] - The Sharks and the Tropics the other two popular suggestions, with a Shark prominent on the new team logo
[3] - Same as the USFL side
[4] - Basically the story behind the Amway Arena but now in Tampa

Up Next: The 1987-88 Season

 

[HB62]

So, in this world, there is no four-team expansion in the late-80's, correct?

There will still be 4 new teams by the end of the decade, and two new teams in the 90s

 

[Nivek]

years earlier than OTL, having already accomplished his 6 OTL titles by 1987 ITL Kareem goes out on a high over a Championship

Well less points for him now

 

[AltSptHst]

The Spurs are still moving despite getting the #1 pick (and a chance at Robinson)?

 

[HB62]

The Spurs are still moving despite getting the #1 pick (and a chance at Robinson)?

The deal would have all been done long before the lottery

 

[Sevsdast]

so... are there more potential relocations that could happen, or most teams are safe in their current locations?

 

[HB62]

1987-88 Season - Part 1 : The Changing of the Guard​

Just before the start of the season, it was revealed that Walter Davis’ pre season absence was due to an ongoing drugs related investigation from his time in Phoenix. The Maricopa County attorney’s office had announced indictments against both Davis and current Golden State Warriors player James Edwards. Reportedly, the investigation had begun after a comment from James Edwards made in a night club about how Warriors would not score more than 99 points in the Warriors final regular season game against Edwards’ former team Phoenix Suns. (Suns would win the game 110-96.) Despite no further evidence that the comment was anything more than an embarrassing remark regarding the quality of his own Warriors’ team, the investigation did lead to the uncovering a large drug problem amongst the Phoenix Suns’ teams through the late 70s and early 80s. Edwards, who joined the Suns in 1983 and stayed for 3 seasons, was granted immunity in exchange for testimony. Edwards would name Davis as being a teammate whom he would frequently take cocaine with throughout the 3 years they spent as teammates. (Davis would also leave the Suns in 1986 to join Washington.)

The story dominated the sport headlines through October. Despite neither player currently playing for Phoenix, the allegations were damaging for the team's reputation. With both players leaving the team in 1986, it looked like the team had found out about the drug use and rather than report their own players they would instead trade them away for other assets. Neither Edwards or Davis said they were aware that the Suns front office knew about the drug use and that both assumed the trades were part of the rebuild Phoenix were going through following a disappointing campaign. The prosecution started falling apart before the new season began, with Edwards unable to provide specific details over the drug use or names of those other than Davis who used drugs. Eventually, before the start of the season, Davis self admitted himself to a drug rehabilitation program and wouldn’t play again until 1988. Edwards joined a drug counseling program and continued to play for the Warriors at the start of the 1987-88 season. On October 14, 1987, a group headed by Suns general manager and vice president Jerry Colangelo purchased the franchise from owners Richard L. Bloch, Donald Pitt and Don Diamond. The deal, hastily arranged with the owners wanting out before the start of the season, was potentially crucial for keeping the Suns in Phoenix.

Detroit’s opening home game of the season started with a minute’s silence in memory of the 154 people killed in the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Atlanta Hawks Center Nick Vanos and his fiancée had been in the airport at the time of the crash, waiting to board their own flight back to Atlanta after an offseason holiday in Michigan.

Once the basketball did get underway, there was joy for the Tampa Bay Bandits. The Bandits, having taken over the Spurs Franchise who’d managed just 46 wins in the last three seasons, won their opening game of the season in a 105-85 win over Washington Bullets in Washington. 1987 number one draft pick David Robinson scored 21 for the Bandits. In a close match in Philadelphia, Larry Bird scored 26 as Boston started their season with a 108-105 win over the 76ers. Another debutant starting with 21 points was Scottie Pippen. Pippen’s 21 wasn’t enough though, as the Bucks went down 115-88 at home to last year's Eastern Conference winners the Knicks. Mark Aguirre had 29 for the Mavericks as Tampa lost for the first time, 98-117 in Dallas. Meanwhile the Jazz must have been wondering who in the NBA scheduling department they’d annoyed as they opened with a back to back matchup with the Lakers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the team with 70+ wins in the last two regular seasons were victorious, Magic and Worthy starring despite the absence of the retired Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers would lose before the end of the October though, Charles Barkley hit 31 in Houston as the Rockets inflicted defeat on their Western conference rivals. The happiest teams after the opening week would be Dallas (3-0), Boston (5-0) and Portland (6-0) as all three made 100% starts to the first month. At the other end of the tables, Phoenix (0-4), Denver (0-5) and Milwaukee (0-6) were still yet to record that elusive first win heading into November.

By the time the season was in full swing, three huge trades had been made as teams readjusted following early season results. Detroit had been looking since defeat to the Lakers in last season's final to adjust the supporting crew behind Isiah Thomas. They made two trades at the start of November. First, Kelly Tripucka left for Denver alongside a draft pick, with Kiki Vandeweghe going the other way to Detroit. Bill Laimbeer also left Detroit, as he and Albert King headed to Chicago. Going the other way was Ralph Sampson and John Drew. Sampson, whose Bulls career had started excellently, had suffered a dip in form over the last two seasons. Detroit were hoping they could unlock that early career performance that might give them the edge to go one better in the playoffs. Sampsons Detroit career began with a 108-95 win in Cleveland and 28 points for the Center. It was the end of an era in Philadelphia. Moses Malone, Finals MVP in Philly’s 1983 championship win, was heading to Los Angeles. Malone, along with Michael Cage, were traded to the Clippers in exchange for Jeff Ruland and Charles Oakley as the 76ers looked to rebuild after missing out on last season's playoffs. One team not needing any roster adjustments right now was the Nets. Led by the always excellent Terry Cummings and ever improving Brad Daugherty, the Nets had started the season well and would finish November with 5 straight wins including a 94-127 thrashing at home to Chicago. The Bandits had their best win yet with a 106-105 win in Portland, including a 29 point haul from Chris Mullin whose partnership with David Robinson was growing. The Moses Malone trade had not brought immediate success to the 76ers. Philadelphia’s struggles were evident as they lost 85-106 in Seattle to start 2-9. Also struggling were Phoenix who had to wait until game nine to record that first win. Incredibly it came against East powerhouses Boston, 99-104 in Phoenix. The Suns would only win once more before December. The Lakers, following the double win start over Utah, had been on a rather indifferent run of form. A 120-122 thriller that ended in defeat in New York left them on a 6-6 record after twelve games. Magic Johnson would then hit 47 and 45 points in his next two games to kick start a 9 game winning run to get the Lakers back on track. That 9 game run wouldn’t be enough to get the Lakers above surprise early West leaders Sacramento Kings. The Kings, led by Patrick Ewing and John Stockton, started 14-5. Also going well in November were Atlanta. The Hawks had been led by Dominique Wilkins almost single handedly for years but had now added rookie Reggie Miller. Miller was taking the load of Wilkins with superb performances early on. He would be top points scorer 5 games in a row at the end of November, including 38 points in a win over Cleveland.

The Knicks were aiming for back to back conference titles in the East and would make a big play for that with 15 straight wins in December. The run was started by a 114-108 win in Cleveland, where Michael Jordan scored 45. The Cummings, Daugherty duo was continuing to work for New Jersey. A 117-121 win over Tampa gave New Jersey a 23-9 start through the end of 1987 and had them placed nicely in the East, although neighbors New York’s winning run still left the Nets trailing in the fight for the Conference. At the other end of the Eastern Conference, the Bucks were seriously struggling. 8 straight games with under 100 points was compounded with a 95-75 loss at home to the Sacramento Kings. Showing signs of recovery in December were Phoenix. A 106-110 win at home to Utah was the first of 8 wins for the Suns who, after a dismal start, looked like they might still put up a fight for those last playoff spots. The Suns were replaced at the bottom of the West by Denver. The Nuggets, who had lost Alex English to the new unrestricted free agency, were sent to the bottom of the conference by a Akeem Olajuwon 28 point haul in Houston. After another playoff loss to the Lakers, the Clippers had changed the top of their roster again. And this time they looked like they may have found the right formula to start troubling their LA counterparts. Newly acquired Moses Malone scored 30 as the Clippers won 109-100 at the start of December over the Lakers. The Lakers would lose another 7 times in December including a 2nd home loss to the Clippers. The Lakers' sized grip at the top of the West was certainly loosening, especially as the Kings were starting a 10 game winning run that would take them into 1988. Also exceeding expectations were the Pacers in the East. Led by Jim Paxson, they would be the last team to beat Sacramento in 1987 with a 120-93 away win. The Pacers looked like a good bet for a third playoff appearance in a row.

If anyone was doubting whether Sacramento might be able to maintain their West conference title bid, those doubts were banished at the start of 1988. A 99-112 win over the Lakers gave the Kings a decent gap at the top. And it wasn’t even the Lakers who were closest to the Kings through January, with Dallas occupying 2nd spot in the West thanks to wins such as a 115-129 win at home to New Jersey. Also going well in the West were Portland, who once again would fancy themselves to make the Conference semifinals at a minimum. Clark Kellogg had 39 in a 102-111 over a hapless Milwaukee. The only thing going for the Bucks right now was that Cleveland were struggling just as much, 6 straight losses through January included a 99-89 home loss to Phoenix. Above both of these were the Bandits, who had cleared the 13 wins achieved by San Antonio in the two previous seasons and still had their sights on the postseason. A 105-118 win over Washington kept them in the hunt, Chris Mullin with another excellent 32 points. An eagerly anticipated matchup in January was taking place in Chicago with the first return of Ralph Sampson. And Sampson would come back to haunt his former club, with 37 points for his new side Detroit in a narrow 121-118 win for the Pistons. Other sides going well in the West were Atlanta, who romped past a struggling 76ers side 84-119 thanks to 36 from Dominique Wilkins and also the Knicks. Jordan finished January with 43 at home to Chicago as a 119-121 win for New York maintained their sizable gap at the top.

The All Star game was held in New York, with Michael Jordan the star attraction. Jordan would end the game as MVP, scoring 24 points in a 124-116 win the East.

All Star Line Ups
Eastern	Western
Michael Jordan	Magic Johnson
Isiah Thomas	John Stockton
Larry Bird	Alex English
Terry Cummings	Adrian Dantley
Karl Malone	Akeem Olajuwon
Jim Paxson	Clyde Drexler
Norm Nixon	Byron Scott
Jeff Ruland	Moses Malone
Jack Sikma	Patrick Ewing
Kiki Vandeweghe	James Worthy
Sidney Moncrief	Charles Barkley
Ralph Sampson	Sleepy Floyd

Conference Standings as of 1st February 1988

Eastern
1. New York Knicks - 37-10
2. Detroit Pistons - 29-18
3. New Jersey Nets - 31-17
4. Boston Celtics 30-17
5. Atlanta Hawks - 26-20
6. Washington Bullets - 25-24
7. Chicago Bulls - 22-23
8. Indiana Pacers - 21-25
----------------------------------------
9. Tampa Bay Bandits - 20-27
10. Philadelphia 76ers - 13-34
11. Cleveland Cavaliers - 12-34
12. Milwaukee Bucks - 11-35

Western:
1. Sacramento Kings - 37-11
2. Dallas Mavericks - 31-14
3. Los Angeles Lakers - 32-16
4. Houston Rockets - 32-18
5. Los Angeles Clippers 26-13
6. Portland Trail Blazers - 23-24
7. Seattle SuperSonics - 20-26
8. Utah Jazz - 20-27
-------------------------------------------
9. Phoenix Suns - 14-31
10. Denver Nuggets - 14-33
11. Golden State Warriors - 13-32​

League Leaders:
PPG:
1. Magic Johnson (29.5)
2. Michael Jordan (27.7)

REB:
1. Charles Oakley (13)
2. Jeff Ruland (12.4)

AST:
1. John Stockton (12.4)
2. Magic Johnson (11.5)

STL
1. Michael Jordan (2.3)
2. Clyde Drexler (1.9)

BLK
1. Benoit Benjamin (2.9)
2. Patrick Ewing (2.7)

TO
1. Michael Jordan (3.3)
2. Magic Johnson (3.1)

---

Up Next: 1987-88 Part 2

 

[HB62]

so... are there more potential relocations that could happen, or most teams are safe in their current locations?

Nothing immediate in the pipeline. OTL, there were no relocations between 1985 & 2001. ITL there's already been one so I think other teams are pretty safe for the time being unless something dramatic happens.

 

[HB62]

1987-88 Season - Part 2 : History Made​

The Sacramento Kings, top of the West at the end of January, would lose seven games in February. The last of which enough to knock them off that top spot. They were replaced by their opposition in that last game, as a Len Bias inspired Houston Rockets won 103-117 in Houston to take over the top of the West. The Lakers were a few wins back in third, keeping the top two in touching distance with important wins such as a 110-108 win in Portland. The Jazz had started February in the last remaining playoff spot, but with a decent game to the teams below them. That gap was extended in February thanks to the exploits of Darryl Griffith and Alex English. The two were instrumental in back to back wins for the Jazz over closest playoff rivals Phoenix Suns. One team not thinking of the playoffs this year were Golden State Warriors. The Warriors, despite boasting Sleepy Floyd, Purvis Short and Buck Williams on their roster won just once in February and looked set to take over the old San Antonio Spot at the bottom of the conference. The expectation was that potentially all three of the Warriors top roster might be traded away in a summer rebuild. Adrian Dantley and Moses Malone were proving a good combination for the Clippers, who made up some ground to the teams above with a solid month. Dantley had 38 in a 94-122 win at home to Phoenix whilst Malone went 4 better with 42 at home to Portland. No one could rival the form of Houston in February however. The Rockets with 13 straight wins including the one against Sacramento to climb from 4th to 1st in the West. Boston were without Kevin McHale and Robert Parish in February, and that led to an indifferent run of form that saw them lose four straight games on two separate occasions during the month. Kiki Vandeweghe was top scorer as Detroit won in Boston 113-95. The playoff race in the East looked to be solely between Indiana and Tampa Bay. Jim Paxson scored 30 as the two met in Tampa, with the Pacers winning 112-106 to remain a couple of wins ahead of their rivals.

By the end of March, 15 out of the 16 teams had already qualified for the postseason. It was perhaps an indication that the gap in quality between the top and the bottom of the NBA had grown. On closer inspection though, with the Lakers and Celtics now no longer locks for the conference titles it appeared that more likely was teams from the middle of the pack had improved thanks to smart trades and good draft prospects which left the bottom 3 in each division a long way from anyone else. The battle for the West conference was as close as it had been for years, with three teams still in contention. In the East, perennial winners Boston found themselves in fourth with just a few regular season games remaining. The top two in the West played out a thriller in Houston. The Kings, out for revenge after losing top spot at the end of February snatched victory back to Sacramento with a 115-114 win that bought the teams level at the top. Sacramento would struggle through the middle of the month though, including a back to back loss to Seattle that left them trailing Houston once more. Seattle, boosted by those two wins over Sacramento, went into a home game over Phoenix with the opportunity to clinch the last playoff spot with a win. And win they did, 90-113 over the Suns meaning the top 8 in the West was locked in. Phoenix, Denver and Golden State would have some work to do in the offseason to make up the ground before next year. The race for the Eastern conference wasn't quite as close. The Knicks won their last 8 games in March to wrap up the title, Michael Jordan top scorer in the last 5 games and the Knicks would go into the playoffs as potentially the favourites thanks to their impressive form and superstar in Jordan. The last remaining playoff spot was still to be decided. Tampa Bay Bandits made the most of the Pacers tough end of March schedule to narrow the gap back to 2. The Pacers had to play the Knicks twice and an away game in Boston to round out the month, resulting in 3 losses. The Bandits meanwhile won two out of their last three, beating Dallas and Chicago to keep their playoffs hope alive.

1st April Playoff Picture

East
8. Indiana Pacers - 36-40
-------------------------------
9. Tampa Bay Bandits - 34-42
​

The gap that was two, was halved at the start of April. Pacers tough run of fixtures continued with a trip to LA to face the Lakers. The Lakers were comfortable 90-105 winners whilst on the same night the Bandits edged out Washington 90-94 at home thanks to 30 points from David Robinson. The Lakers win kept them in touch at the top of the West, especially as the Kings were losing at home to Utah at the same time. The Bandits would win again the following night, now on a streak of four wins out of five thanks to a 109-102 win in Milwaukee. This left both teams on 36 wins, with Tampa having one less game left than Indiana but the form book was very much in their favour. Indiana couldn't make the most of the game in hand the next day, losing 98-88 at home to Washington Bullets. The same night, Houston had the opportunity to clinch the West division but failed to do so, Utah making them wait for their title thanks to a 101-109 win. Chris Mullin was the Bandit hero the next day, scoring 30 as Tampa Bay sneaked a 100-99 win away at the West whipping boys Golden State. The Pacers were thrashed in Detroit on the same night and now Tampa had the one game advantage with three games left each. Houston made no mistake on the second attempt at clinching the West title, 22 points from Charles Barkley enough as they won 116-113 in Dallas. For the first time in seven years the Lakers would go into the playoffs as something other than the no 1 seed for the West whilst it was the second conference title for the Rockets. Tampa Bay had the momentum behind them now, climbing into the playoff spot for the first time all season with the win over the Warriors. They used that momentum to stretch that winning run, winning 113-94 in Milwaukee to really put the pressure on Indiana. And the Pacers couldn't respond, losing 89-87 at home to Chicago the next night. Tampa were now on a 5 game winning run, whilst the Pacers had collapse to lose the last 7. One more win for Tampa and they would finish their first season in the Bay, in the playoffs. And sure enough, that win would come in a famous night at the temporary USF Sun Dome home. 35 points from Chris Mullin led the Bandits to a 103-117 win at home to Atlanta to complete an incredible late comeback and send Tampa into the playoffs. The Pacers finally stopped the rot, winning 122-116 in New Jersey but they had left it too late.

Eastern Conference Standings:
1. New York Knicks - 62-20
2. Detroit Pistons - 46-36
3. Boston Celtics - 50-32
4. New Jersey Nets - 48-34
5. Chicago Bulls - 45-37
6. Washington Bullets - 45-37
7. Atlanta Hawks - 45-37
8. Tampa Bay Bandits - 39-43
-------------------------------------
9. Indiana Pacers - 38-44
10. Philadelphia 76ers - 28-54
11. Milwaukee Bucks - 26-56
12. Cleveland Cavaliers - 19-63

Western Conference Standings:
1. Houston Rockets - 59-23
2. Los Angeles Lakers - 56-26
3. Sacramento Kings - 54-28
4. Dallas Mavericks - 46-36
5. Los Angeles Clippers - 46-36
6. Portland Trail Blazers - 41-41
7. Utah Jazz - 40-42
8. Seattle SuperSonics - 36-46
-------------------------------------
9. Phoenix Suns - 31-51
10. Denver Nuggets - 25-57
11. Golden State Warriors - 18-64

Regular Season Awards​

Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player	Michael Jordan (Knicks)
Rookie of the Year	David Robinson (Bandits)
Sixth Man of the Year	Len Bias (Rockets)
Defensive Player of the Year	David Robinson (Bandits)
Most Improved Player	William Bedford (Bullets)

	Player of the Month
Month	Eastern	Western
October	Michael Jordan (Knicks)	Magic Johnson (Lakers)
November	Larry Bird (Celtics)	Magic Johnson (Lakers)
December	Karl Malone (Bulls)	Alex English (Jazz)
January	Michael Jordan (Knicks)	Magic Johnson (Lakers)
February	Larry Bird (Celtics)	Akeem Olajuwon (Rockets)
March	Michael Jordan (Knicks)	Magic Johnson (Lakers)
April	Michael Jordan (Knicks)	Magic Johnson (Lakers)

	Rookie of the Month
Month	Eastern	Western
October	David Robinson (Bandits)	Steve Harris (Warriors)
November	Reggie Miller (Hawks)	Kevin Johnson (Suns)
December	David Robinson (Bandits)	Muggsy Bogues (Clippers)
January	David Robinson (Bandits)	Kevin Johnson (Suns)
February	Scottie Pippen (Bucks)	Muggsy Bogues (Clippers)
March	David Robinson (Bandits)	Kevin Johnson (Suns)
April	David Robinson (Bandits)	Kevin Johnson (Suns)

	All-NBA Teams
All-NBA 1st	All-NBA 2nd	All-NBA 3rd
Magic Johnson (Lakers)	Isiah Thomas (Pistons)	Clyde Drexler (Trail Blazers)
Michael Jordan (Knicks)	John Stockton (Kings)	Gus Williams (SuperSonics)
Larry Bird (Celtics)	Dominique Wilkins (Hawks)	Alex English (Nuggets)
Karl Malone (Bulls)	Terry Cummings (Nets)	Adrian Dantley (Clippers)
Akeem Olajuwon (Rockets)	David Robinson (Bandits)	Patrick Ewing (Kings)

All-Defensive 1st	All-Rookie 1st
Michael Jordan (Knicks)	David Robinson (Bandits)
Sidney Moncrief (Bucks)	Armen Gilliam (Bandits)
Larry Bird (Celtics)	Scottie Pippen (Bucks)
Xavier McDaniel (Pacers)	Reggie Miller (Hawks)
Akeem Olajuwon (Rockets)	Kevin Johnson (Suns)

The Playoffs
​

East 1st Round
New York Knicks 1-3 Tampa Bay Bandits
Reggie Theus unbelievably steals the show in Game 4, as the young Bandits cause an incredible 1st Round upset to knock out the favourites
New Jersey Nets 3-1 Chicago Bulls
New Jersey are now the highest seed team left in the East after being the Bulls in 4 games, despite 47 points from Karl Malone in game 4
Boston Celtics 1-3 Washington Bullets
Another stunning upset as Larry Bird can't prevent Boston exiting at the 1st Round stage. The Celtics miss out on the Semi Finals for the first time since 1979
Detroit Pistons 0-3 Atlanta Hawks
Detroit's early season reshuffle fails to pay off as Dominique Wilkins fires Atlanta into their first semi final since 1984

West 1st Round
Houston Rockets 3-2 Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle's streak of 1st Round exits continues as Houston advance in 5.
Dallas Mavericks 3-2 Los Angeles Clippers
Dallas will have eyes on repeating their 1985 triumph after coming from 2-1 down to knock out the Clippers
Sacramento Kings 2-3 Portland Trail Blazers
The Kings, so impressive for so much of the season, fall short as once again Clyde Drexler comes alive in the postseason to top score in all 5 games.
Los Angeles Lakers 3-1 Utah Jazz
The Lakers the only team not to need 5 games in the West to advance. With the shock early exits of the East powerhouses, they must be confident of a third straight title.

East Semi Final
New Jersey Nets 1-4 Tampa Bay Bandits
Tampa's incredible run after climbing into the playoffs on the last week continues. It's their first conference final since 1983
Washington Bullets 1-4 Atlanta Hawks
7th seed Atlanta are now the highest ranked team left in the East as Dominique Wilkins continues fantastic form to top score in all 5.

West Semi Final
Houston Rockets 4-2 Dallas Mavericks
The 1985 champs are eliminated by the 1981 runners up as top seed Houston advance to the conference finals
Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Portland Trail Blazers
With 7th and 8th seed meeting in the East, it's the more traditional 1st v 2nd conference final in the West. Portland again fall short to a Magic led Lakers

East Final
Atlanta Hawks 0-4 Tampa Bay Bandits
Simply unbelievable scenes as the new look Tampa Bay Bandits, on the back of two straight 13 win seasons, become the first 8th seed to ever reach the NBA finals in their first season in Tampa.

West Final
Houston Rockets 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers
A quite incredible series in the West. The Rockets led 2-1, trailed 2-3 before winning the last two to prevail. Charles Barkley with two free throws right at the death to win game 7 118-119.

1987 - 1988 NBA Championship Finals
Game 1: Tampa Bay Bandits 98-140 Houston Rockets
George Gervin, against his old franchise, top scores for Houston. Bias, Barkley and Akeem also all have 20+ points.
Game 2: Tampa Bay Bandits 108-100 Houston Rockets
The Tampa run continues as they come alive in game 2, Chris Mullin with 25 levels the series.
Game 3: Houston Rockets 133-112 Tampa Bay Bandits
Another high scoring game for Houston and George Gervin who win in Tampa to lead 2-1
Game 4: Houston Rockets 125-104 Tampa Bay Bandits
Back to back away wins leaves the Rockets 1 game from their first title. Gervin again top scorers.
Game 5: Tampa Bay Bandits 121-118 Houston Rockets
Tampa force a game 6 thanks to dominant first half. David Robinson with 32
Game 6: Houston Rockets 122-92 Tampa Bay Bandits
Houston secure their first NBA title thanks to dominant win in Tampa.

NBA Championship Final Result
Tampa Bay Bandits 2-4 Houston Rockets

Finals MVP
Charles Barkley​

---

Up Next: A 5 Year Recap

 

[Nivek]

Charles Barkley

Still so weird reading it , great update

 

[WB18]

Wow, what a run for the Bandits in their first season. Anyway, good for the Rockets, nice to see Barkley get a ring (and finals MVP). 5-year recap? That should be interesting.

 

[HB62]

Still so weird reading it , great update

Wow, what a run for the Bandits in their first season. Anyway, good for the Rockets, nice to see Barkley get a ring (and finals MVP). 5-year recap? That should be interesting.

Thanks both, glad you are enjoying

 

[HB62]

The 5 Year Recap (1983-1988)

The Season's in Short​

​	Champions​	Runner Up​	Finals MVP​	Season MVP​	Leading Points Scorer​	Rookie of the Year​	Sixth Man of the Year​	Defensive Player of the Year​	Most Improved Player​
1983-84​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Boston Celtics​	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar​	Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers)​	Larry Bird (SF) (26.7) (Celtics)​	Ralph Sampson (Rockets)​	Kevin McHale (Celtics)​	Tree Rollins (Hawks)​	Sleepy Floyd (Warriors)​
1984-85​	Dallas Mavericks​	Boston Celtics​	Mark Aguirre​	Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers)​	Dominique Wilkins (SF) (28.7) (Hawks)​	Michael Jordan (Knicks)​	Larry Drew (Hawks)​	Ralph Sampson (Bulls)​	James Worthy (Lakers)​
1985-86​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Boston Celtics​	Magic Johnson​	Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers)​	Dominique Wilkins (SF) (29.0) (Hawks)​	Patrick Ewing (Kings)​	Reggie Theus (Spurs)​	Akeem Olajuwon (Rockets)​	Clyde Drexler (Trail Blazers)​
1986-87​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Detroit Pistons​	Magic Johnson​	Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers)​	Dominique Wilkins (SF) (27.4) (Hawks)​	Len Bias (Rockets)​	Len Bias (Rockets)​	Akeem Olajuwon (Rockets)​	Kenny Fields (Bucks)​
1987-88​	Houston Rockets​	Tampa Bay Bandits​	Charles Barkley​	Michael Jordan (SG) (Knicks)​	Michael Jordan (SG) (28.0) (Knicks)​	David Robinson (Bandits)​	Len Bias (Rockets)​	David Robinson (Bandits)​	William Bedford (Bullets)​

Division Winners​

​	1984​	1985​	1986​	1987​	1988​
Atlantic​	Boston Celtics​	Boston Celtics​	Boston Celtics​	New York Knicks​	New York Knicks​
Central​	Detroit Pistons​	Detroit Pistons​	Detroit Pistons​	Detroit Pistons​	Detroit Pistons​
Midwest​	Denver Nuggets​	Utah Jazz​	Dallas Mavericks​	Houston Rockets​	Houston Rockets​
Pacific​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Los Angeles Lakers​

Conference Winners​

​	1984​	1985​	1986​	1987​	1988​
East​	Boston Celtics​	Boston Celtics​	Boston Celtics​	New York Knicks​	New York Knicks​
West​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Los Angeles Lakers​	Houston Rockets​

Regular Season Wins​

​	1984​	1985​	1986​	1987​	1988​	Total​
Atlanta Hawks​	39​	31​	36​	35​	45​	186​
Boston Celtics​	72​	57​	56​	53​	50​	288​
Chicago Bulls​	26​	33​	47​	37​	45​	188​
Cleveland Cavaliers​	37​	30​	35​	18​	19​	139​
Dallas Mavericks​	44​	54​	41​	50​	46​	235​
Denver Nuggets​	51​	40​	40​	36​	25​	192​
Detroit Pistons​	55​	50​	53​	50​	46​	254​
Golden State Warriors​	32​	38​	43​	27​	18​	158​
Houston Rockets​	26​	42​	33​	61​	59​	221​
Indiana Pacers​	28​	30​	37​	36​	38​	169​
Kansas City / Sacramento Kings​	30​	29​	37​	52​	54​	202​
Los Angeles Lakers​	66​	65​	70​	71​	56​	328​
Milwaukee Bucks​	45​	36​	41​	34​	26​	182​
New Jersey Nets​	44​	42​	34​	43​	48​	211​
New York Knicks​	25​	35​	50​	57​	62​	229​
Philadelphia 76ers​	40​	54​	35​	35​	28​	192​
Phoenix Suns​	47​	34​	34​	36​	31​	182​
Portland Trail Blazers​	50​	48​	47​	56​	41​	242​
San Antonio Spurs / Tampa Bay Bandits​	30​	20​	13​	13​	39​	115​
San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers​	34​	36​	41​	36​	46​	193​
Seattle SuperSonics​	46​	47​	47​	43​	36​	219​
Utah Jazz​	46​	56​	40​	24​	40​	206​
Washington Bullets​	29​	36​	33​	40​	45​	183​

Playoff History (Team eliminated by in brackets)​

​	1984​	1985​	1986​	1987​	1988​
Atlanta Hawks​	SF (Pistons)​	DNQ​	1 Rd (Pistons)​	1 Rd (Knicks)​	East Final (Bandits)​
Boston Celtics​	NBA Final (Lakers)​	NBA Final (Maverick)​	NBA Final (Lakers)​	SF (Pistons)​	1 Rd (Bullets)​
Chicago Bulls​	DNQ​	1 Rd (Celtics)​	1 Rd (Bucks)​	1 Rd (Celtics)​	1 Rd (Nets)​
Cleveland Cavaliers​	1 Rd (Pistons)​	DNQ​	DNQ​	DNQ​	DNQ​
Dallas Mavericks​	SF (Trail Blazers)​	W​	1 Rd (Jazz)​	SF (Lakers)​	SF (Rockets)​
Denver Nuggets​	1 Rd (Mavericks)​	1 Rd (Jazz)​	1 Rd (Lakers)​	1 Rd (Rockets)​	DNQ​
Detroit Pistons​	East Final (Celtics)​	SF (76ers)​	East Final (Celtics)​	NBA Final (Lakers)​	1 Rd (Hawks)​
Golden State Warriors​	DNQ​	SF (Trail Blazers)​	1 Rd (Trail Blazers)​	DNQ​	DNQ​
Houston Rockets​	DNQ​	1 Rd (Mavericks)​	DNQ​	SF (Trail Blazers)​	W​
Indiana Pacers​	DNQ​	DNQ​	1 Rd (Knicks)​	1 Rd (Pistons)​	DNQ​
Kansas City / Sacramento Kings​	DNQ​	DNQ​	DNQ​	1 Rd (Mavericks)​	1 Rd (Trail Blazers)​
Los Angeles Lakers​	W ​	1 Rd (Warriors)​	W​	W​	West Final (Rockets)​
Milwaukee Bucks​	1 Rd (Hawks)​	1 Rd (76ers)​	SF (Celtics)​	DNQ​	DNQ​
New Jersey Nets​	1 Rd (76ers)​	SF (Celtics)​	DNQ​	1 Rd (Bullets)​	SF (Bandits)​
New York Knicks​	DNQ​	1 Rd (Pistons)​	SF (Pistons)​	East Final (Pistons)​	1 Rd (Bandits)​
Philadelphia 76ers​	SF (Celtics)​	East Final (Celtics)​	1 Rd (Celtics)​	DNQ​	DNQ​
Phoenix Suns​	SF (Lakers)​	DNQ​	DNQ​	DNQ​	DNQ​
Portland Trail Blazers​	West Final (Lakers)​	West Final (Mavericks)​	SF (Lakers)​	West Final (Lakers)​	SF (Lakers)​
San Antonio Spurs / Tampa Bay Bandits​	DNQ​	DNQ​	DNQ​	DNQ​	NBA Final (Rockets)​
San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers​	1 Rd (Lakers)​	DNQ​	West Final (Lakers)​	1 Rd (Lakers)​	1 Rd (Mavericks)​
Seattle SuperSonics​	1 Rd (Suns)​	1 Rd (Trail Blazers)​	1 Rd (Clippers)​	1 Rd (Trail Blazers)​	1 Rd (Rockets)​
Utah Jazz​	1 Rd (Trail Blazers)​	SF (Mavericks)​	SF (Clippers)​	DNQ​	1 Rd (Lakers)​
Washington Bullets​	1 Rd (Celtics)​	1 Rd (Nets)​	DNQ​	SF (Knicks)​	SF (Hawks)​

- Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns are on the longest playoff drought, each missing the last four postseasons.
- Seattle SuperSonics have made all 5 postseasons but lost at the 1st Round on each occasion
- Portland Trail Blazers are the only team to have made at least the Semi Final's in each of the five seasons, but have never made the Championship final
- Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers & Seattle SuperSonics have made all five playoffs
- Tampa Bay Bandits became the first ever 8th seed to reach the Championship final in 1988, in their first season in Tampa

Starting Line Ups (As at end of 1987-88 season)​

​	PG​	SG​	SF​	PF​	C​	6​
Atlanta Hawks​	Derek Harper​	Reggie Miller​	Dominique Wilkins​	Sam Perkins​	Joe Wolf​	Bill Wennington​
Boston Celtics​	Mark Price​	Dennis Johnson​	Larry Bird​	Kevin McHale​	Robert Paris​	Cedric Maxwell​
Chicago Bulls​	Ennis Whatley​	Quintin Dailey​	Orlando Woolridge​	Karl Malone​	Bill Laimbeer​	Albert King​
Cleveland Cavaliers​	Norm Nixon​	Mike Woodson​	Reggie Williams​	Cliff Robinson​	Mark Eaton​	Craig Hodges​
Dallas Mavericks​	Brad Davis​	Rolando Blackman​	Mark Aguirre​	Antoine Carr​	Benoit Benjamin​	Dale Ellis​
Denver Nuggets​	John Bagley​	Dell Curry​	Marques Johnson​	Rick Mahorn​	Richard Anderson​	Kelly Tripucka​
Detroit Pistons​	Isiah Thomas​	Vinnie Johnson​	Kiki Vandeweghe​	Cliff Levingston​	Ralph Sampson​	John Drew​
Golden State Warriors​	Sleepy Floyd​	Lester Conner​	Purvis Short​	Buck Williams​	Steve Harris​	James Edwards​
Houston Rockets​	Sam Vincent​	George Gervin​	Rodney McCray​	Charles Barkley​	Akeem Olajuwon​	Len Bias​
Indiana Pacers​	Maurice Cheeks​	Jim Paxson​	Xavier McDaniel​	Bill Martin​	Herb Williams​	Jerry Sichting​
Los Angeles Clippers​	Johnny Moore​	Clint Richardson​	Adriant Dantley​	Michael Cage​	Moses Malone​	Muggsy Bogues​
Los Angeles Lakers​	Magic Johnson​	Michael Cooper​	Jamaal Wilkes​	James Worthy​	Terry Catledge​	Byron Scott​
Milwaukee Bucks​	Kenny Fields​	Sidney Moncrief​	Scottie Pippen​	Larry Smith​	Joe Barry Carroll​	Paul Pressey​
New Jersey Nets​	Darwin Cook​	Otis Birdsong​	Terry Cummings​	Darryl Dawkins​	Brad Daugherty​	Lancaster Gordon​
New York Knicks​	Rory Sparrow​	Michael Jordan​	Bernard King​	Ed Pinckney​	Jack Sikma​	Trent Tucker​
Phildadelphia 76ers​	Larry Drew​	Andrew Toney​	Oscar Schmidt​	Charles Oakley​	Jeff Ruland​	Joe Kleine​
Phoenix Suns​	Kevin Johnson​	Jeff Malone​	Kenneth Griffith​	Wayman Tisdale​	Kurt Rambis​	Rod Foster​
Portland Trail Blazers​	Fat Lever​	Clyde Drexler​	Clark Kellogg​	Mychal Thompson​	A.C. Green​	Darnell Valrntine​
Sacramento Kings​	John Stockton​	World B. Free​	Mike Mitchell​	Otis Thorpe​	Patrick Ewing​	Chuck Person​
Seattle SuperSonics​	Gus Williams​	Jon Sundvold​	Gene Banks​	Hot Rod Williams​	Manute Bol​	David Thompson​
Tampa Bay Bandits​	John Paxson​	Reggie Theus​	Chris Mullin​	Armen Gilliam​	David Robinson​	Mike Bratz​
Utah Jazz​	Doc Rivers​	Darrell Griffith​	Alex English​	Thurl Bailey​	Jon Koncak​	Junior Bridgeman​
Washington Bullets​	Kenny Smith​	John Long​	Kenny Walker​	Detlef Schrempf​	Williams Bedford​	Michael Adams​

---

Up Next: The 1988 Offseason

 

[HB62]

1988 - Offseason
​

May 21 1988
​

Pacers Count Their Blessings with Lottery Win​

The Indiana Pacers hit the jackpot in the National Basketball Assn. draft lottery Saturday, winning the first pick and the accompanying right to select All-American forward Danny Manning of Kansas in next month’s draft. Manning, however, won’t come cheap. Manning will reportedly seek a $35-million contract, the richest rookie deal ever.

Ron Grinker, Manning’s agent, said he plans to ask for a contract that will exceed the $33.5-million, 10-year deal that center Patrick Ewing signed with the Sacramento Kings in 1985 and the $26-million, 10-year one that center David Robinson signed with the Tampa Bay Bandits. Both contracts, however, included substantial interest-free loans. Ewing was the first choice in the 1985 draft, and Robinson was the first player selected in last year’s draft.

“The only thing I can assure you is that Danny Manning won’t consider anything less than either Ewing or Robinson got,” Grinker said from his home in Cincinnati. “Danny Manning is the most unique player to come into the NBA because he can play five positions like (Boston Celtics star) Larry Bird. Danny Manning carried a very ordinary Kansas team to a championship.”

The Pacers had comfortably the best record of any of the seven teams involved in the lottery, registering 38 wins during the season and only missed out on the playoffs by one game to Tampa. Golden State Warriors, who had the worst overall record amongst all teams in the NBA last season, were rewarded with second pick. They will be followed by two big names in the East, 1983 Champions Philadelphia 76ers and the conference champions of the last two years New York Knicks (thanks to pick acquired from Milwaukee Bucks). Phoenix Suns will pick fifth, Cleveland Cavaliers sixth and Denver Nuggets seventh when the draft takes place on June 28.

---

June 22 1988​

NBA Champion Found Dead in Hotel Room​

In a devastating turn of events, Houston Rockets basketball star Len Bias has been pronounced dead this afternoon. The 24 year old Power Forward, just three days after winning his first NBA title with the Rockets, was found collapsed in a hotel room this morning. Evidence of cocaine was found in samples taken during attempts to save Bias, according to police sources. Photos have emerged of Bias out partying in Houston last night, before he presumably returned to his hotel room where he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest.

Rockets' General Manager Ray Patterson released a short statement on behalf of the team.
"We are distraught to learn of the death of one of our own Len Bias. The city of Houston has turned from celebration to mourning today, having lost a player so instrumental in our incredible first NBA Championship last Sunday. Len was a class act, a basketball player full of talent and above all a great person, friend and teammate. We send our deepest condolences to the Bias family and Len's friends. Plans to celebrate Len's life will be announced in due course, but for now we ask for privacy for Len's family, friends and teammates. Rest in Peace Len.

Bias played two seasons in the NBA. In 1987, his first, he received Rookie of the Year after being selected as first pick in the 1986 draft by Houston. He won Sixth Man of the Year in both his NBA seasons, having served as backup to 1988 final MVP Charles Barkley. Both Houston and Bias won their first NBA Championships on Sunday, beating Tampa Bay Bandits in the finals. Bias' two seasons saw him score 3,262 points, 518 rebounds, 765 assists, 243 steals and 136 blocks in total. Given the successful first two seasons he had, the question marks over how the rest of his career might have turned out will now remain one of the biggest What Ifs in Basketball.

---

June 23 1988
​

Miami and Charlotte Expansion Draft Results Revealed​

After the April announcement that franchises would be headed to Miami and Charlotte, today NBA commissioner David Stern revealed the 23 players selected between the two teams that would form the basis of their first squads. Miami's first pick was Chris Washburn, who joins from Miami's nearest rivals Tampa Bay Bandits. Charlotte, picking 2nd, selected Darryl Dawkins from New Jersey Nets. Miami picked first due to last weeks coin toss which was won by Charlotte, who then chose to have the 8th pick in this years NBA draft, with Miami picking one pick later in 9th. Both teams will play in the Eastern conference in their inaugural seasons, in the new league alignment announced recently. Miami and Charlotte take the place of Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, who have been moved into the Western Conference to play in the Midwest division. Charlotte have been placed in the Atlantic Division alongside New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, Washington Bullets & Philadelphia 76ers. Miami will play in the Central division, alongside Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Tampa Bay Bandits (moved from Atlantic to Central) and Indiana Pacers. The full expansion draft picks can be seen below.

Miami Heat:
1. Chris Washburn
2. Brad Davis
3. Lewis Lloyd
4. Dennis Rodman
5. Rod Higgins
6. Craig Hodges
7. Joe Kleine
8. Winston Garland
9. Chris Dudley
10. Doug Lee
11. Ron Grandison
12. Luis Hicks

Charlotte Hornets:
1. Darryl Dawkins
2. Craig Ehlo
3. Greg Anderson
4. Rickey Green
5. Johnny Davis
6. Frank Johnson
7. Muggsy Bogues
8. Vincent Askew
9. Chase Bullard
10. Laurence Barker
11. Greg Dreiling

---

June 28 1988​

Manning Joins Indiana in NBA Draft​

Derek Manning was selected as first pick in the 1988 NBA draft by Indiana Pacers. Manning, a 6-foot 9-inch, 230-pound forward who was selected as college basketball’s player of the year after leading Kansas to the 1988 National Collegiate Athletic Assn. title, is expected to make a major contribution to the Pacers, who only just missed out on last seasons playoffs and now can have reasonable expectations of making the postseason. They have not made it past the first round in three playoff appearances, but will hope Manning can be the star to lead them further than ever before. Center Rik Smits was chosen second by Golden State Warriors, with Charles Smith going third to Philadelphia. Before the draft got underway, a moving tribute was played to Len Bias, who died just three days after his Houston Rockets team clinched last seasons title. A video was shown, with highlights from Bias' two seasons in the NBA and words from those who had played with him. A long round of applause followed as the NBA remembered a young star taken too soon.

1988 NBA Draft 1st Round Selection
1. Derek Manning - Indiana Pacers
2. Rik Smits - Golden State Warriors
3. Charles Smith - Philadelphia 76ers
4. Rony Seikaly - New York Knicks
5. Chris Morris - Phoenix Suns
6. Mitch Raymond - Cleveland Cavaliers
7. Hersey Hawkins - Denver Nuggets
8. Rex Chapman - Charlotte Hornets
9. Tim Perry - Miami Heat
10. Willie Anderson - Seattle SuperSonics
11. Mark Bryant - Tampa Bay Bandits
12. Gary Grant - Utah Jazz
13. Jeff Grayer - Portland Trail Blazers
14. Kevin Edwards- Chicago Bulls
15. Dan Majerle - Atlanta Hawks
16. Rod Strickland - Washington Bullets
17. Brian Shaw - Detroit Pistons
18. Winny Del Negro - Dallas Mavericks
19. Will Perdue - Sacramento Kings
20. Randolph Keys - New Jersey Nets
21. Derrick Chievous - Boston Celtics
22. Tom Tolbert - Sacramento Kings
23. Steve Kerr - Los Angeles Lakers
24. Harvey Grant - New York Knicks
25. Grant Long - Houston Rockets

---

November 1 1988​

Parish heads West to join up with old rivals Lakers, Boston Rebuilding?​

Just three days before the start of the new NBA season, Los Angeles Lakers announced the arrival of the longtime Boston Celtics Center Robert Parish. Parish, 35, has spent nine years at Boston, winning the 1981 title and also finishing runner up on three other occasions. Boston suffered a mini slump last season, dropping to third in the Eastern Conference before being knocked out in the First Round of the playoffs by Washington Bullets. Parish suffered an injury that ruled him out of most of the second half of the season, leading many to speculate that Boston are trading him away whilst they can still get some value back. In return, Lakers have sent Byron Scott and their 1991 1st Round draft pick. Boston will have to hope for a dramatic drop in fortunes for the Lakers in order for the draft pick to be early on in the 1991 draft. The trade between Boston and the Lakers is one of many in a busy offseason for the NBA teams.

Notable Trades / Signings
Miami Heat sign Maurice Cheeks - Free Agency
New Jersey Nets Doc Rivers - Free Agency
Utah Jazz trade Alex English, SF, to Miami Heat for their 1989 & 1990 1st Round draft picks
Cleveland Cavaliers trade Cliff Robinson, PF, & Norm Nixon, PG, to Washington Bullets for Rod Strickland, PG, and Detlef Schrempf, SF.
Golden State Warriors trade Sleepy Floyd, PG, & Purvis Short, SF, to Phoenix Suns for Wayman Tisdale, PF, & their 1989 1st Round draft pick.
Golden State Warriors trade Buck Williams, PF, & Lester Conner, SG, to Chicago Bulls for Derrick McKey, SF, & their 89 2nd Round, 90 1st Round (Top 10 protected) & 92 1st Round draft pick.
Seattle SuperSonics trade Gus Williams, PG, & Bill Cartwright, C, to Charlotte Hornets for Darryl Dawkins, C, & their 1989 1st Round draft pick (Top 5 protected)
Denver Nuggets trade Eddie Johnson, SF, to Utah Jazz for Jon Koncak, C.
Phoenix Suns trade Larry Nance, SF, to Los Angeles Clippers for their 1991 & 1992 1st Round draft picks.
Boston Celtics trade Robert Parish , C, to Los Angeles Lakers for Byron Scott, SG, & their 1991 1st Round draft pick.

---

November 3 1988
​

1988 - 1989 Season Preview​

Here at ESPN, we look ahead at the NBA season that gets underway tomorrow and see what may be in store for each of the now 25 teams. The Eastern Conference now looks very different going into the new season. Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks have both departed, heading for the Western Conference to be replaced by the two new expansion teams, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat. The move has prompted calls by some to move the playoffs to the top 16 teams across both conferences combined, with many feeling the West is now a greatly stronger conference. Teams from the West have won each of the last five NBA titles. For now though, it will still be the top 8 in the East heading into the postseason and that should be no problem for the New York Knicks. The Knicks, back to back Eastern Conference winners, still have last seasons regular season MVP Michael Jordan as well as supporting cast Bernard King and Jack Sikma. The Knicks will be hoping for much better this time out in the playoffs, suffering a shock defeat to eventual finalists Tampa Bay Bandits. Battling it out for the Conference title with New York should be Detroit Pistons. Detroit must make the most of having the talented Isiah Thomas before it's too late, having also suffered a shock exit in the East First Round last time around, swept by Atlanta Hawks. Boston are no longer seen as the favourites in the East, but still have Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to call on and should also be up there. They are without Robert Parish this season, but have gained Byron Scott and have an ever improving Mark Price to compensate. The Nets made last years Eastern Semi Finals, and may have been slightly disappointed not to go further after being the highest seeded team to reach that stage. They've had two excellent seasons with Terry Cummings and Brad Daugherty leading the team. They've added Doc Rivers in the offseason and should be the nearest challengers to the big three in the East. Tampa Bay Bandits shocked all of basketball last season, drawing wide spread support during their underdog run all the way to the NBA finals. The Bandits, now in their second season since their switch from San Antonio, should face a much simpler job of reaching the playoffs as youngsters David Robinson, Chris Mullin and Armen Gilliam all improve. Whether they can go one better than last years sensational showing remains to be seen. Everybody's second favourite team will be fun to watch again for sure. The playoff fight this year is expected to be between Atlanta, Indiana, Washington and Philadelphia. Atlanta added Derek Harper from Dallas and Reggie Miller from the draft last season to support the excellent Dominique Wilkins. Atlanta made last years East final before being soundly beaten by the Tampa train. The often unfancied side have made the last three postseasons, and show no signs of stopping that streak this time around. Indiana barely missed out on last seasons playoffs, but may now be glad they did. Despite winning seven more games than anyone else in the draft lottery, they were awarded the number one pick. Derek Manning was the choice, and the Pacers will be hoping he can have a similar impact to that of David Robinson with Tampa last season. Washington are Basketball analysts bogey side. One glance at their roster and you'd have them as a lock to miss out on the playoffs but that has been the case the past two seasons where they've ended up at the Semi Final stage both times. Their spirit and togetherness has made up for any lack of quality, and this year they've added Norm Nixon and Cliff Robinson from Cleveland. This year no one can be surprised if the Bullets find themselves playing more than 82 games. Philadelphia 76ers are in a difficult place. Letting Moses Malone go last season was the start of a supposed rebuilding phase but the two players replacing Malone were unable to produce enough quality last season. Charles Smith should be a much needed addition at Small Forward, and if Charles Oakley and Jeff Ruland can start discovering that form they can produce then maybe Philly can return to the playoffs this time around. Miami have had a strong first offseason in the NBA. The quality in the expansion draft was low as expected, but they've been able to add Maurice Cheeks in free agency and have taken the big risk of adding 34 year old Alex English from Utah and trading away their next two first round draft picks. If English can bring his good form to Miami, then the Heat could make a surprise first season challenge for the playoffs. They may need to, because without their next two draft picks this season could be Miami's best for a while. Cleveland will be hoping the addition of two expansion teams might lift them off the bottom of the East. Miami's roster already looks stronger however, and Cleveland have trade proven quality for young prospects in acquiring Rod Strickland and Detlef Schrempf from Washington. Cleveland should still just about have enough to finish above Charlotte's new side, but that may be as good as it gets for now for the Cavaliers. Charlotte weren't able to get someone like Alex English in the offseason but they do still have their next two draft picks. Gradual improvement will be the name of the game for the Hornets over the next few years.

In the West, last years top seed and eventual NBA Champions Houston Rockets were rocked over the summer when, just three days after their game 6 win over Tampa in the NBA final, Len Bias was found dead in his hotel room. The Rockets have had an understandably quiet offseason since then, and it's unknown the effect Bias' death will have on the team. Perhaps a more modest playoff position is to be expected from the Rockets this time around. Los Angeles Lakers launched a big play to get back to the top of the pile just a few days ago. Announcing the pick up of Robert Parish, the Lakers have dramatically improved their starting roster at Center. The Lakers may only have a couple more goes at adding to the titles of Magic and Worthy, three of their starting five are now well into their thirties, but they will be confident this season with their offseason addition of Parish. Sacramento once again look well positioned with Patrick Ewing and John Stockton. The Kings again fell short in the playoffs but the team is still young and learning how to deal with the postseason pressure. Chuck Person is now in his third season and will add more quality to help take the load off of Ewing and Stockton. Dallas' roster also remains in a position to contend this year. Benoit Benjamin has developed massively and now leads the team alongside Mark Aguirre and Rolando Blackman. There is an argument that their current line up is considerably stronger than the one that secured the Championship in 1985, so why can't Dallas win Championship No 2 this time around? Behind the top 4, expect Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers all to make the playoffs this season. The Clippers duo of Moses Malone and Adrian Dantley can still compete amongst the best and have had a season playing together now. The Bulls are back in the West for the first time since 1980 and added Buck Williams in the summer to ball alongside superstar Karl Malone and Center Bill Laimbeer. The Bulls have a sneaky contending roster but it does feel like they've underachieved since drafting Malone in 1985. Portland are the only team to have made the past five playoff semi finals, with Clyde Drexler leading them to every one. It would be reasonable to assume the same again this time around, although their continued drift away from the top in the regular season may continue as others strengthen. The playoff fight looks to be between Phoenix and Milwaukee this season. Phoenix have added the former Golden State duo Sleepy Floyd and Purvis Short who bring experience to an exciting young line up featuring Kevin Johnson and Chris Morris. Milwaukee, also back in the West for the first time since 1980, have struggled recently and will need Scottie Pippen and Kenny Fields to step up this season to support Sidney Moncrief. Behind these two, Denver led by Kelly Tripucka may be the best place side to launch a playoff campaign. The Nuggets have a few young players waiting to break through and this year could be the year they do so. The Jazz traded away star Alex English for what they hope will be two low numbered draft picks from Miami. Expect Utah's own draft pick to feature in next year's lottery, given the state of the current roster now without English. Golden State are in a big rebuilding period, having fallen out the playoffs straight to the bottom of the West. The Warriors let their three best players leave for two young talents in Wayman Tisdale and Derrick McKey and a plethora of draft picks. The Warriors will hope they can say the next couple of years of certain struggles will be worth it come the 90s. Seattle's strange trade decisions may finally come to haunt them this year. Losing Bill Cartwright and Gus Williams from an already weak roster means they may finally miss out on the playoffs after seven straight appearances in the off season. They do always seem to find away to make that top 8, so never say never for the SuperSonics, but it looks unlikely this time around.

Eastern Conference Prediction
1. New York Knicks
2. Detroit Pistons
3. Boston Celtics
4. New Jersey Nets
5. Tampa Bay Bandits
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Washington Bullets
9. Philadelphia 76ers
10. Miami Heat
11. Cleveland Cavaliers
12. Charlotte Hornets

Western Conference Prediction
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Sacramento Kings
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Houston Rockets
5. Los Angeles Clippers
6. Chicago Bulls
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. Phoenix Suns
9. Milwaukee Bucks
10. Denver Nuggets
11. Utah Jazz
12. Golden State Warriors
13. Seattle SuperSonics​

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Up Next: The 1988-89 Season

​

 

[HB62]

1988-89 Season - Part 1: The Closest Season Yet​

Eastern Conference champions New York Knicks stumbled out of the blocks in 1988. Starting with a trip to Philadelphia, a low scoring game resulted in an 82-88 win for the 76ers as Jordan managed just 7 points, compared to a 28 point haul in 23 minutes for Scott Skiles on the home side. The Cummings / Daugherty duo made a hot start for the Nets, with 52 between them in a 118-128 home win against Cleveland. The Bandits continued where they left off from the previous season, surprising the top teams. They started with a 91-118 win at home to Boston. Detroit made it three for three in terms of opening night losses for the big teams in the East, going down 128-96 at home to Indiana. It was an emotional night in Houston, with the life of Len Bias celebrated before the game. Akeem and Barkley produced a show to honor their former teammate, scoring 31 points each in a 91-102 win against the Lakers. Both expansion teams got underway on night two. Miami Heat, at home to Washington, went down 97-85 whilst Charlotte faced an even tougher matchup facing the Lakers at home. Lakers would get their first win of the season, 109-101 in Charlotte. New York and Boston both recovered from the opening night losses with wins over Phoenix and Cleveland respectively. The Golden State struggles were evident early on in the season. Having lost their first two games, the Warriors then scored just 68 points at home to Portland in a 99-68 loss. A difficult seasons for the Warriors looked likely. The Lakers got revenge for their opening night loss, beating Houston 98-125 at home whilst Boston lost again on the road going down 97-112 in Milwaukee. After the game, it was announced that Larry Bird would miss the remainder of the season following surgery to remove bone spurs in both of his heels. Despite 30 points from Kiki Vandeweghe, Detroit would lose their second game on the road to the Mavericks (103-113). For Dallas, it would be a third straight win to start the season. Detroit’s start would get even worse when they lost at home to Miami next time out, scoring just 86 compared to Miami’s 101. It was Miami’s first win of the season and first as a franchise. Defending champions Houston were now 1-3 after losing in Sacramento. The Rockets had faced a tough start, playing the Lakers twice and away games at the other big two in the West, Dallas and Sacramento. Scottie Pippen was showing signs of growing into his starting role at Milwaukee. The 1987 draftee scored 32 as the Bucks narrowly beat the Clippers 98-99 at home. Both teams started 2-3. Two teams at the opposite ends of the form table met up in Detroit in mid November. Detroit were 0-3 to start whilst New Jersey had won 5 from 5 to start the season. The form book was chucked out the window however, with Detroit just about getting their first win of the season, 103-106. Also with a slender win on the same night was Tampa, who were now 4-1 after winning 117-116 in Indiana. Chris Mullin with 30. Charlotte Hornets had lost their first 4 as a franchise, but put the record straight in game 5. A 101-109 win at home to the Milwaukee Bucks got Charlotte on the board. Not yet on the board were Golden State Warriors who lost again, this time in Seattle. It was an 0-6 start for the Warriors who would then taste victory for the first time next time out, at home to Chicago. Tampa Bay were proving they had no intention of letting last seasons finals run be a fluke. A 118-107 win in Houston was Tampa’s 7th win in their first 9. The young trio of David Robinson, Chris Mullin and Armen Gilliam proving a match for anyone else in the league early on. Once again defying expectations were the Washington Bullets. The Bullets were also 7-2 like the Bandits when they rocked up at a Birdless Boston. The Bullets won 103-93 and topped the East. John Stockton was the start of the show in a thrilling win for Sacramento over the Clippers. Stockton had 23 points and 16 assists in a 116-115 win in LA. The Kings were keeping up with the Lakers early on. New Jersey’s form continued to be strong right the way through the month, winning 110-102 away to the Lakers to overtake Washington at the top of the East. Both expansion teams improved as the month went on, and would both end it with good starts. Charlotte with a 7-9 start whilst Miami were one better with 8-8.

East Top 3 (1st December)

1. New Jersey Nets - 11-4​
2. Tampa Bay Bandits - 11-6​
3. Washington Bullets - 11-5​

West Top 3

1. Sacramento Kings - 12-4​
2. Chicago Bulls - 12-5​
3. Los Angeles Lakers - 12-5​

Chicago, after an impressive start to life back in the West Conference, struggled in early December. They started the month with 6 defeats out of 7, their sole win a Karl Malone inspired victory in Sacramento. Going the other way in the West was Houston. The defending champs won 9 out of their last ten in the month as they took advantage of a favorable run of fixtures to climb back into the top 3. The Jazz, on the other hand, were utterly dismal in December. Utah lost all 14 games, scored above 100 only twice (102 & 103), and looked set to rival the dismal Spurs teams of a few years ago. Magic continued to be Magic with back to back 40+ point games against Chicago and Dallas as the Lakers hung around the top of the West throughout the month. Despite not being the pretty much unbeatable team as they were before Abdul-Jabbar’s retirement, the Lakers still were proving difficult to topple as teams came and then fell away again due to the Lakers' consistency. In the East, the Bullets faded a little despite impressing in back to back wins over Detroit in the middle of the month. Two losses to the Cavaliers were particularly tough to take considering Washington had traded for Cleveland’s two best players in the off season. Incredibly, as the calendar rolled into 1989, the two teams propping up the East were the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. The Isiah, Ralph and Kiki trio in Detroit could never all play well at the same time, leading to inconsistent results. They would win in Boston one night and then lose in Miami and Milwaukee either side of that. Boston were struggling without the departed Robert Parish and injured Larry Bird. Kevin McHale was also not always 100% fit, with his injury from last season turning into a recurring one. The Celtics did win 5 of their last 6 in December, in a glimpse of a revival. The run included home wins against the current leaders of each conference, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. Miami continued to impress in their debut season. A five game winning streak brought them back into a positive record mostly thanks to Alex English’s performances. The pre-season trade was looking good for the Miami team. Reggie Miller was certainly coming alive in Atlanta. The 1987 draft pick had 43 in an early in the month victory over Milwaukee and it was a win that started a good run for Atlanta to lift them up the East.

East Top 3 (1st January)

1. New York Knicks 21-11
2. Atlanta Hawks - 20-12
3. Tampa Bay Bandits - 19-11

West Top 3

1. Los Angeles Lakers - 22-9
2. Houston Rockets - 21-11
3. Sacramento Kings - 21-9

The fortunes of Boston and Detroit did not improve much in January. The top two for almost all of the 80s had both suffered a dramatic fall alongside each other. The cause of Boston’s fall was easy to see, they had lost Parish to the Lakers, lost Bird for the whole season to injury, and lost a 100% fit McHale. Their big three had been dismantled in the space of a couple of months. For Detroit, the cause of their issues was less obvious. They still had Isiah, supported by Vandeweghe and Sampson. It was clear though that Sampson was not turning into the Hall of Fame player he had been tipped to be in 1983. Certainly Houston sending him to Chicago to allow them to pick up Barkley alongside Akeem in 84 was looking more and more like a masterstroke. Kiki offered a lot offensively but nothing defensively and Isiah was clearly becoming more and more disillusioned as his talents continued to be wasted. A 72-112 loss for Detroit in Cleveland was a particularly low point for the franchise in January. After defying expectations to sit in the playoff positions, Cleveland had dropped back to reality in January. 8 straight losses to end the month undid a lot of the team's good work. Although the run did involve playing in New York, Houston and a back to back with the Lakers. Looking a better bet for the playoffs was Miami. The Heat looked unfazed in their first season, with Alex English leading the side. He scored 35 in an impressive home win over Sacramento. It was incredibly tight at the top of the East. New York were taking advantage of Detroit and Boston’s struggles in the East to lead, but their lead was a slender one over a bunch of teams who must have been getting nose bleeds at their mid-season positions. Even without an injured Danny Manning, Indiana were able to use the exploits of Xavier McDaniel and Jim Paxson to climb into the top 3. Impressive results included wins at home to Tampa Bay and New Jersey. Washington played their first ‘home’ game since 1973 in Baltimore in January. The visit of Seattle was a disaster as the Bullets lost 94-72 in their worst performance of the season. The Baltimore experiment wouldn’t continue past the end of the season. The West was equally as wide open at the top. The Lakers had fallen off the top after a slightly inconsistent month. That was despite Magic top scoring in nine consecutive games through the middle of January including 40 in Cleveland and 35 down the road against the Clippers. The noisy neighbors were not put off by that loss however, as that would be the last time they lost in January. The best January run went to Chicago, who had recovered from a poor December to get themselves back into contention. Karl Malone was as impressive as ever, with 39 in Utah and 31 in Dallas the high points. There was an equally tight affair for the playoffs in the West. With, similarly to the East, 5 teams looking to be battling out for 1 final spot. The SuperSonics, now led by Nick Vanos, were continually able to nick the odd unlikely win to keep themselves from drifting away. Wins in both Washington and Phoenix helping their prospects this month. It was Phoenix who currently occupied that last playoff spot, taking advantage of a 6 game losing run for the Milwaukee Bucks. 32 points from Jeff Malone in a 106-132 win at home to Cleveland was enough to see Phoenix climb to 8th.

The 1989 All Star game was held at the home of defending champions Houston. There were tributes to Len Bias throughout. The East, despite struggling to get one over the West in the Championship finals, were becoming experts at the All Star game. They would win this one 115-105, with Michael Jordan top scorer with 19. Despite losing, home town star Charles Barkley was named MVP.

All Star Line Ups​	​
Eastern​	Western​
Michael Jordan​	Magic Johnson​
Isiah Thomas​	John Stockton​
Dominique Wilkins​	Charles Barkley​
Alex English​	Akeem Olajuwon​
David Robinson​	Karl Malone​
Jim Paxson​	Sidney Moncrief​
Byron Scott​	Adrian Dantley​
Terry Cummings​	Moses Malone​
Jeff ruland​	Patrick Ewing​
Kevin McHale​	Robert Parish​
Bernard King​	Drazen Petrovic​
Gus Williams​	Kenny Fields​

Conference Standings as of 1st February 1988

Eastern
1. New York Knicks - 30-15
2. Tampa Bay Bandits - 28-16
3. Indiana Pacers - 29-19
4. Atlanta Hawks - 27-17
5. New Jersey Nets - 27-19
6. Washington Bullets - 23-20
7. Miami Heat - 21-24
8. Cleveland Cavaliers - 16-27
----------------------------------------
9. Charlotte Hornets - 16-28
10. Philadelphia 76ers - 17-30
11. Detroit Pistons - 16-30
12. Boston Celtics - 16-30

Western:
1. Los Angeles Clippers - 33-13
2. Houston Rockets - 31-14
3. Los Angeles Lakers - 32-14
4. Sacramento Kings - 29-15
5. Dallas Mavericks - 30-17
6. Chicago Bulls - 29-16
7. Portland Trail Blazers - 27-15
8. Phoenix Suns - 18-24
-------------------------------------------
9. Milwaukee Bucks - 17-28
10. Denver Nuggets - 16-29
11. Seattle SuperSonics - 15-29
12. Golden State Warriors - 12-32
13. Utah Jazz - 5 - 39​

League Leaders:
PPG:
1. Magic Johnson (29.2)
2. Dominique Wilkins (27.7)

REB:
1. Charles Oakley (13.2)
2. Jeff Ruland (12.2)

AST:
1. John Stockton (11.7)
2. Magic Johnson (11.6)

STL
1. Michael Jordan (2.2)
2. Isiah Thomas (1.8)

BLK
1. David Robinson (2.5)
2. Akeem Olajuwon (2.5)

TO
1. Isiah Thomas (3.2)
2. Derek Harper (3.0)

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Up Next: 1988-89 Part 2

 

[OldNavy1988]

With the Spurs having moved to Tampa to become the Bandits, does that butterfly the Orlando Magic?

Also, will San Antonio make a return to the NBA?

 

[Nivek]

June 22 1988

Somethings just never change.. ouch... and with Phoenix ones,that might be something for the NBA history there

 

[OldNavy1988]

Somethings just never change.. ouch... and with Phoenix ones,that might be something for the NBA history there

I still think Colangelo can save the Suns. Especially with the Cardinals coming over from St. Louis around this time period.