1986–87 Detroit Pistons season
The 1986-87 NBA season was the Pistons' 39th season in the NBA and 30th season in the city of Detroit.
After drafting John Salley and Dennis Rodman, the team earned the nickname "Bad Boys" because of their physical style of play.
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 11 | John Salley | PF/C | Georgia Tech | |
| 2 | 27 | Dennis Rodman | SF/PF | Southeastern Oklahoma State | |
| 4 | 86 | Chauncey Robinson | Mississippi State | ||
| 5 | 109 | Clarence Hanley | Old Dominion | ||
| 6 | 132 | Greg Grant | Utah State | ||
| 7 | 155 | Larry Polec | Michigan State |
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Game log
Playoffs
East First Round
Detroit Pistons vs. Washington Bullets: Pistons win series 3-0- Game 1 @ Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac : Detroit 106, Washington 92
- Game 2 @ Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac : Detroit 128, Washington 85
- Game 3 @ Capital Centre, Landover : Detroit 97, Washington 96
East Conference Semifinals
Atlanta Hawks vs. Detroit Pistons: ''Pistons win series 4-1- Game 1 @ The Omni, Atlanta : Detroit 112, Atlanta 111
- Game 2 @ The Omni, Atlanta : Atlanta 115, Detroit 102
- Game 3 @ Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac : Detroit 108, Atlanta 99
- Game 4 @ Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac : Detroit 89, Atlanta 88
- Game 5 @ The Omni, Atlanta : Detroit 104, Atlanta 96
East Conference Finals
Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons: Celtics win series 4-3- Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 104, Detroit 91
- Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 110, Detroit 101
- Game 3 @ Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac : Detroit 122, Boston 104
- Game 4 @ Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac : Detroit 145, Boston 119
- Game 5 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 108, Detroit 107
- Game 6 @ Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac : Detroit 113, Boston 105
- Game 7 @ Boston Garden, Boston : Boston 117, Detroit 114
Player statistics
Season
Playoffs
Awards and records
- Isiah Thomas, All-NBA Second Team
Transactions