The 1987–88 Phoenix Suns season was the 19th season for the Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...

 of the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

. The team was led by new head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 John Wetzel

John Wetzel

John Francis Wetzel is an American former professional basketball player and coach. A 6'5" guard, he played collegiately at Virginia Tech and was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 8th round of the 1966 NBA Draft...

. Having missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, Suns management made a midseason trade with Cleveland

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...

 in attempt to return the Suns to postseason play. The trade would in part send All-Star

NBA All-Star

NBA All-Star may refer to:*NBA All-Star Weekend*NBA All-Star Game*List of NBA All-Stars, players who have been selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game...

 Larry Nance in exchange for rookie

Rookie

Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...

 Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson

Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...

. All home games were played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum

The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, located on the grounds of the Arizona State Fair...

.

Despite Nance's quality play (he was leading the Suns in scoring with 21 points

Point (basketball)

Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....

 and 10 rebounds

Rebound (basketball)

A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...

 per game), Suns director of personnel, Cotton Fitzsimmons

Cotton Fitzsimmons

Lowell "Cotton" Fitzsimmons was a college and NBA basketball coach. A native of Hannibal, Missouri, he attended and played basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in Hannibal and Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas...

, stated the reason for the trade. "It's obvious we are not happy with our current record and we are not happy with our record over the last few seasons. We talked to a lot of teams about Nance. We felt it (the trade with Cleveland) was the best deal for us in regard to the youth of the players and draft choices involved." On February 25, the 29-year-old Nance, along with Mike Sanders

Mike Sanders (basketball)

Michael Anthony Sanders is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.Sanders was selected by the Kansas City Kings with the 74th overall pick of the 1982 NBA Draft...

 and a 1988 draft first round pick, were sent to Cleveland in exchange for Johnson, Tyrone Corbin

Tyrone Corbin

Tyrone Kennedy Corbin is the head coach of the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association. He was installed as head coach on February 10, 2011 following the resignation of longtime coach Jerry Sloan....

, Mark West, 1988 draft first and second round picks, and a 1989 second round pick. (The 1988 draft first rounder would turn out to be Dan Majerle

Dan Majerle

Daniel Lewis Majerle is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. Known by his fans as "Downtown Dan," "Thunder Dan," and "Dan the Man," he played 14 years in the NBA, primarily with the Phoenix Suns, also with the Miami...

.) On the day of the trade, the Suns beat Cleveland (none of the players involved in the trade recorded any minutes). The Suns would, however, lose their next nine games in a row.

Depth chart

Pos.	Starter	Bench	Reserve	Inactive
C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...	Mark West	Alvan Adams Alvan Adams Alvan Leigh Adams is a retired American professional basketball player. After starring at the University of Oklahoma, the 6'9" power forward/center was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 4th pick of the 1975 NBA Draft...		Ron Moore
PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...	Armen Gilliam Armen Gilliam Armen Louis Gilliam nicknamed "The Hammer", was an American professional basketball player who played 13 years in the National Basketball Association from 1987–2000. He also played one season for the Pittsburgh Xplosion of the American Basketball Association...	James Bailey James Bailey (basketball) James L. "Jammin' James" Bailey is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6' 9" forward/center from Rutgers University, he was selected with the 6th pick of the 1979 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics...	Winston Crite Winston Crite Winston Arnel Crite is a retired American professional basketball player who currently trains young players. After a very successful career at Texas A&M University, Crite was selected with 53rd overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns and spent two following seasons in the NBA...	Jeff Cook Jeff Cook (basketball) Jeffrey James Cook is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'10" center from Idaho State University, Cook played in the National Basketball Association from 1979 to 1988 as a member of the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, and Utah Jazz...
SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...	Eddie Johnson	Tyrone Corbin Tyrone Corbin Tyrone Kennedy Corbin is the head coach of the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association. He was installed as head coach on February 10, 2011 following the resignation of longtime coach Jerry Sloan....	Bernard Thompson Bernard Thompson Bernard Thompson is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1st round of the 1984 NBA Draft. A 6'6" forward-guard from Fresno State University, Thompson played in 5 NBA seasons from 1984 to 1989. He played for the Blazers, Phoenix...
SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...	Jeff Hornacek Jeff Hornacek Jeffrey John Hornacek is a retired American basketball player who played at the shooting guard position in the NBA from 1986–2000.-Elementary and high school:...	Walter Davis Walter Davis (basketball) Walter Paul Davis is a retired American basketball player. A 6'6" forward/guard, Davis spent 15 years in the National Basketball Association, spending the bulk of those years with the Phoenix Suns...
PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...	Kevin Johnson Kevin Johnson Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...	Craig Hodges Craig Hodges Craig Anthony Hodges is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA for 10 seasons and led the league in 3-point shooting percentage three times...

Standings

Pacific Division

Team	W	L	PCT.	GB
Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...	62	20	.756
Portland Trail Blazers Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...	53	29	.646	9
Seattle SuperSonics Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...	44	38	.537	18
Phoenix Suns	28	54	.351	34
Golden State Warriors Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...	20	62	.244	42
Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...	17	65	.207	45