Jordan was great, and Oakley led the league in total rebounds (1,066). Still, the Bulls lacked a quality supporting cast. They took a major step toward alleviating that problem at the
1987 NBA draft, when Vice President of Basketball Operations Jerry Krause acquired two players who would be vital cogs in Chicago's future championship machine. With two picks in the top 10, Krause selected Olden Polynice at No. 8 and
Horace Grant at No. 10. He then traded Polynice and draft considerations to the
Seattle SuperSonics for
Scottie Pippen, whom the Sonics had grabbed with the fifth pick. With Grant and Pippen on board, the Bulls in 1987–88 forged a 50–32 record, their best mark since
1973-74. Chicago finished in a second-place tie with Atlanta in a competitive Central Division won by the surging Detroit Pistons. The Bulls in the playoffs, defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in a five-game first-round series, but then fell to Detroit in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Oakley and the
Los Angeles Clippers' Michael Cage engaged in a nip-and-tuck battle for the league's rebounding title, which came down to the last day of the regular season. On April 22 against Cleveland, Oakley put the pressure on Cage by pulling down 35 rebounds, the second-highest total in Bulls history behind
Tom Boerwinkle's 37 in 1970. Two days later, however, Cage grabbed 30 boards in a game against Seattle, just enough to edge Oakley by the slimmest of margins, 13.03 per game to 13.00. Cage played in 10 fewer games than Oakley, however, so Oakley led the NBA in total rebounds for the second consecutive year, with 1,066. Jordan led the league in scoring (35.0 ppg) and steals (3.16 per game). He won almost every major award, including Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA First Team Honors and NBA All-Defensive First Team Honors.
Season standings ==Game log==