1988–89 Detroit Pistons season

The 1988-89 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 41st season in the NBA and 32nd season in the Detroit metropolitan area. The Pistons moved from the Pontiac Silverdome to the brand-new Palace of Auburn Hills before the start of the season, which culminated in the Pistons' first NBA championship, sweeping the Lakers in four games in the NBA Finals a rematch from last year's NBA Finals and avenging their NBA Finals loss. Following the season, Rick Mahorn was picked up by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1989 expansion draft and was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers soon after.

1988–89 Detroit Pistons season
NBA champions
Conference champions
Division champions
Head coachChuck Daly
General managerJack McCloskey
Owner(s)William Davidson
ArenaThe Palace of Auburn Hills
Results
Record63–19 (.768)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Central)
Conference: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finishNBA Champions
(Defeated Lakers 4–0)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWKBD-TV
(George Blaha, Dick Motta)
PASS Sports
(Fred McLeod, Tom Wilson)
RadioWWJ
(George Blaha, Dick Motta)
A ticket for a November 1988 game between the Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets.

The Pistons and Lakers would face each other again 15 years later in the NBA Finals in 2004, where the Pistons won in five games en route to their third NBA championship despite being underdogs to the heavily-favored Lakers.

Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
2 30 Fennis Dembo Forward  United States Wyoming
2 48 Micheal Williams Guard  United States Baylor
3 72 Lee Johnson Forward  United States Norfolk State

[1]

Roster
Roster listing
1988–89 Detroit Pistons roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
SF 23 Aguirre, Mark 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 232 lb (105 kg) DePaul
SF 34 Dembo, Fennis 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Wyoming
G 4 Dumars, Joe 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) McNeese State
F/C 53 Edwards, James 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Washington
SG 15 Johnson, Vinnie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Baylor University
C 40 Laimbeer, Bill 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) University of Notre Dame
SG 25 Long, John 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) University of Detroit Mercy
F/C 44 Mahorn, Rick 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Hampton
F 10 Rodman, Dennis 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) SE Oklahoma State
F/C 22 Salley, John 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Georgia Tech
PG 11 Thomas, Isiah (C) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Indiana
PG 24 Williams, Micheal 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Baylor
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

On February 15, 1989, the Pistons traded Adrian Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks for Mark Aguirre. Dantley was unhappy relegating the leadership role on the Pistons to Isiah Thomas, while Aguirre had clashed with his coaches and teammates in Dallas. Aguirre was more amenable to deferring to Thomas, and accepted his role in Chuck Daly's system. His ability to shoot the three, post up, run the floor, and pass was instrumental in the growth of the team.

Season standings
Central Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Detroit Pistons 6319.768–37–426–1520–10
x-Cleveland Cavaliers 5725.695637–420–2119–11
x-Atlanta Hawks 5230.6341133–819–2220–10
x-Milwaukee Bucks 4933.5981431–1018–2311–19
x-Chicago Bulls 4735.5731630–1117–2412–18
Indiana Pacers 2854.3413520–218–338–22
# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Detroit Pistons6319.768–
2 y-New York Knicks5230.63411
3 x-Cleveland Cavaliers5725.6956
4 x-Atlanta Hawks5230.63411
5 x-Milwaukee Bucks4933.59814
6 x-Chicago Bulls4735.57316
7 x-Philadelphia 76ers4636.56117
8 x-Boston Celtics4240.51221
9 Washington Bullets4042.48823
10 Indiana Pacers2854.34135
11 New Jersey Nets2656.31737
12 Charlotte Hornets2062.24443

Record vs. opponents
1988-89 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL NJN NYK PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA UTA WAS
Atlanta —3–14–14–24–21–10–21–51–11–15–12–01–11–16–04–12–22–21–11–12–01–11–11–13–1
Boston 1–3—6–01–31–41–11–11–31–11–12–32–01–12–02–25–13–33–30–21–12–02–00–21–12–4
Charlotte 1–40–6—1–40–40–20–20–40–20–22–22–00–21–10–42–42–43–30–20–21–12–01–11–11–5
Chicago 2–43–14–1—0–62–01–10–61–11–14–21–12–02–06–02–23–21–31–12–02–02–02–00–23–1
Cleveland 2–44–14–06–0—2–02–03–31–11–15–11–10–22–03–34–02–23–22–02–02–02–01–11–12–2
Dallas 1–11–12–00–20–2—3–30–21–31–51–13–10–46–00–21–10–21–11–32–22–25–12–24–21–1
Denver 2–01–12–01–10–23–3—1–13–14–21–12–21–35–10–21–11–11–11–32–23–13–32–23–31–1
Detroit 5–13–14–06–03–32–01–1—1–11–14–22–02–02–02–44–00–45–02–01–12–02–02–02–05–0
Golden State 1–11–12–01–11–13–11–31–1—1–31–15–12–34–00–22–02–01–12–42–42–33–12–42–21–1
Houston 1–11–12–01–11–15–12–41–13–1—2–02–21–34–21–12–00–20–21–33–12–26–02–22–40–2
Indiana 1–53–22–22–41–51–11–12–41–10–2—1–10–21–12–41–30–50–41–12–01–12–01–11–11–3
L.A. Clippers 0–20–20–21–11–11–32–20–21–52–21–1—1–51–30–21–10–20–21–51–52–33–11–41–30–2
L.A. Lakers 1–11–12–00–22–04–03–10–23–23–12–05–1—4–01–11–11–12–03–35–05–13–14–21–31–1
Miami 1–10–21–10–20–20–61–50–20–42–41–13–10–4—0–21–11–10–20–40–41–32–40–41–50–2
Milwaukee 0–62–24–00–63–32–02–04–22–01–14–22–01–12–0—4–11–33–11–12–02–01–11–11–14–1
New Jersey 1–41–54–22–20–41–11–10–40–20–23–11–11–11–11–4—2–41–51–10–21–11–12–00–21–5
New York 2–23–34–22–32–22–01–14–00–22–05–02–01–11–13–14–2—2–41–12–01–11–11–11–15–1
Philadelphia 2–23–33–33–12–31–11–10–51–12–04–02–00–22–01–35–14–2—0–21–12–01–11–11–14–2
Phoenix 1–12–02–01–10–23–13–10–24–23–11–15–13–34–01–11–11–12–0—2–35–13–14–12–22–0
Portland 1–11–12–00–20–22–22–21–14–21–30–25–10–54–00–22–00–21–13–2—3–34–02–40–41–1
Sacramento 0–20–21–10–20–22–21–30–23–22–21–13–21–53–10–21–11–10–21–53–3—2–21–51–30–2
San Antonio 1–10–20–20–20–21–53–30–21–30–60–21–31–34–21–11–11–11–11–30–42–2—0–41–51–1
Seattle 1–12–01–10–21–12–22–20–24–22–21–14–12–44–01–10–21–11–11–44–25–14–0—3–11–1
Utah 1–11–11–12–01–12–43–30–22–24–21–13–13–15–11–12–01–11–12–24–03–15–11–3—2–0
Washington 1–34–25–11–32–21–11–10–51–12–03–12–01–12–01–45–11–52–40–21–12–01–11–10–2—

Game log

Regular season
1988–89 game log
Total: 63–19 (Home: 37–4; Road: 26–15)
November: 11–3 (Home: 4–1; Road: 7–2)
December: 9–4 (Home: 6–1; Road: 3–3)
January: 8–6 (Home: 7–2; Road: 1–4)
February: 8–3 (Home: 4–0; Road: 4–3)
March: 16–1 (Home: 9–0; Road: 7–1)
April: 11–2 (Home: 7–0; Road: 4–2)
1988–89 schedule

Playoffs
1989 playoff game log
Eastern Conference First Round: 3–0 (Home: 2–0; Road: 1–0)
Eastern Conference Semifinals: 4–0 (Home: 2–0; Road: 2–0)
Eastern Conference Finals: 4–2 (Home: 2–1; Road: 2–1)
NBA Finals: 4–0 (Home: 2–0; Road: 2–0)
1989 schedule

Playoffs

After finishing with the best record in the NBA, the Pistons swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference finals, they faced the Chicago Bulls, whom they had defeated in the conference semifinals a year earlier. Although the Bulls were able to win two of the first three games, the Pistons' use of their "Jordan Rules" defense wore out Michael Jordan, setting up Detroit's second consecutive NBA Finals appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Eastern Conference First Round

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Boston Celtics: Pistons win series 3-0

Last Playoff Meeting: 1988 Eastern Conference Finals (Detroit won 4-2)

Eastern Conference Semifinals

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks: Pistons win series 4-0

Last Playoff Meeting: 1976 Western Conference First Round (Detroit won 2-1)

Eastern Conference Finals

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Chicago Bulls: Pistons win series 4-2

Last Playoff Meeting: 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Detroit won 4-2)

Player stats
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Regular season
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Mark Aguirre 363229.7.483.293.7384.22.5.44.1915.5
Adrian Dantley 424231.9.521.000.8393.92.2.55.1418.4
Darryl Dawkins 1403.4.474.000.500.5.1.00.071.9
Fennis Dembo 3102.4.333.000.800.7.2.03.001.2
Joe Dumars 696734.9.505.483.8502.55.7.91.0717.2
James Edwards 76116.5.500.000.6863.0.6.14.417.3
Steve Harris 302.3.250.0001.000.7.0.33.001.3
Vinnie Johnson 822125.3.464.295.7343.13.0.90.2113.8
Bill Laimbeer 818132.6.499.349.8409.62.2.631.2313.7
John Long 2416.3.475.000.846.5.6.00.082.0
Rick Mahorn 726124.9.517.000.7486.9.8.56.927.2
Pace Mannion 502.81.000.000.000.6.0.20.00.8
Dennis Rodman 82826.9.595.231.6269.41.2.67.939.0
Jim Rowinski 601.3.000.0001.000.3.0.00.00.7
John Salley 672121.8.498.000.6925.01.1.601.077.0
Isiah Thomas 807636.6.464.273.8183.48.31.66.2518.2
Micheal Williams 4907.3.364.222.660.61.4.27.062.6

Playoffs
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Mark Aguirre 171727.2.489.276.7374.41.6.47.1812.6
Fennis Dembo 202.01.000.000.000.0.0.00.001.0
Joe Dumars 171736.5.455.083.8612.65.6.71.0617.6
James Edwards 17018.6.471.000.7842.1.7.06.477.1
Vinnie Johnson 17021.9.455.417.7582.62.5.24.1814.1
Bill Laimbeer 171729.2.465.357.8068.21.8.35.4710.1
John Long 402.01.000.0001.000.0.0.00.001.2
Rick Mahorn 171721.2.580.000.6545.1.4.53.765.7
Dennis Rodman 17024.1.529.000.68610.0.9.35.715.8
John Salley 17023.1.586.000.6674.6.5.531.478.9
Isiah Thomas 171737.2.412.267.7404.38.31.59.2418.2
Micheal Williams 401.5.000.0001.000.5.5.25.00.5

NBA Finals
Main article: 1989 NBA Finals

The Pistons' overpowering play allowed them to sweep the Lakers, who struggled to fill the defensive void left by Byron Scott's injury prior to the start of the Finals. Joe Dumars was named Finals MVP. In addition, Magic Johnson pulled a hamstring early in the second game, and unable to play the rest of the series. The Lakers' depleted backcourt allowed the Pistons to easily win the 1988-89 NBA Championship.

GameHome TeamRoad Teamseries
Game 1Detroit 109L.A. Lakers 971–0
Game 2Detroit 108L.A. Lakers 1052–0
Game 3:L.A. Lakers 110Detroit 1143–0
Game 4:L.A. Lakers 97Detroit 1054–0

Pistons win series 4-0

Award winners

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-03-17. Retrieved 2009-05-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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