1988–89 Indiana Pacers season
| 1988–89 Indiana Pacers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
|
| General manager | Donnie Walsh |
| Owner(s) | Herbert Simon |
| Arena | Market Square Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 28–54 (.341) |
| Place | Division: 6th (Central) Conference: 10th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WXIN (Bill Hazen, Clark Kellogg) |
| Radio | WNDE (Mark Boyle, Bobby "Slick" Leonard) |
The 1988–89 NBA season was the 13th season for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association, and their 22nd season as a franchise. Despite finishing with a 38–44 record the previous season, the Pacers received the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, and selected 7' 4" Dutch center Rik Smits out of Marist College. Before the regular season began, center Steve Stipanovich was out with a left knee injury, and would be sidelined for the entire season after undergoing knee surgery.
The Pacers went through four different head coaches this season; head coach Jack Ramsay resigned after an 0–7 start, then after two games under interim coach Mel Daniels, and 20 games under interim George Irvine, the team hired Dick Versace as their new coach. At mid-season, the team traded Wayman Tisdale to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for LaSalle Thompson and Randy Wittman, and dealt Herb Williams to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for German small forward Detlef Schrempf. The Pacers held an 11–35 record at the All-Star break, but played slightly under .500 for the remainder of the regular season, finishing in last place in the Central Division with a 28–54 record.
Chuck Person averaged 21.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while second-year star Reggie Miller showed improvement becoming the team's starting shooting guard, averaging 16.0 points and 1.3 steals per game, plus leading the Pacers with 98 three-point field goals, and Vern Fleming contributed 14.3 points and 6.5 assists per game. In addition, Smits provided the team with 11.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and Scott Skiles contributed 6.8 points and 4.9 assists per game off the bench.
Following the season, Stipanovich retired after five seasons in the NBA with the Pacers; Stipanovich had gone through two knee operations, and doctors discovered he had a "dead spot" in the bone of his left knee. Also following the season, Skiles was left unprotected in the 1989 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the newly expansion Orlando Magic.