2003-04 NBA
Physical / Isolation Era
Detroit Pistons won the title.
- Teams
- 29
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 90.1
- Points per team game
- 93.4
- League true shooting
- .516
- Share of shots from three
- 18.7%
Award winners
- MVPKevin Garnett
- Defensive Player of the YearMetta World Peace
- Rookie of the YearLeBron James
- Sixth ManAntawn Jamison
- Most ImprovedZach Randolph
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Pacers | 61 | 21 | 4.93 | Lost conf. finals |
| Detroit Pistons | 54 | 28 | 5.04 | Won title |
| New Jersey Nets | 47 | 35 | 1.88 | Lost conf. finals |
| Miami Heat | 42 | 40 | -0.13 | Lost conf. finals |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 41 | 41 | 0.42 | Lost 1st round |
| New Orleans Hornets | 41 | 41 | -0.72 | Lost conf. finals |
| New York Knicks | 39 | 43 | -1.97 | Lost conf. finals |
| Boston Celtics | 36 | 46 | -1.99 | Lost 2nd round |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 35 | 47 | -3.07 | Missed playoffs |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 33 | 49 | -2.95 | Missed playoffs |
| Toronto Raptors | 33 | 49 | -3.42 | Missed playoffs |
| Atlanta Hawks | 28 | 54 | -5.00 | Missed playoffs |
| Washington Wizards | 25 | 57 | -6.12 | Missed playoffs |
| Chicago Bulls | 23 | 59 | -6.69 | Missed playoffs |
| Orlando Magic | 21 | 61 | -7.25 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 58 | 24 | 5.86 | Lost conf. finals |
| San Antonio Spurs | 57 | 25 | 7.51 | Lost conf. finals |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 56 | 26 | 4.35 | Lost Finals |
| Sacramento Kings | 55 | 27 | 5.41 | Lost conf. finals |
| Dallas Mavericks | 52 | 30 | 4.86 | Lost conf. finals |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 50 | 32 | 2.95 | Lost conf. finals |
| Houston Rockets | 45 | 37 | 2.28 | Lost 1st round |
| Denver Nuggets | 43 | 39 | 1.65 | Lost 2nd round |
| Utah Jazz | 42 | 40 | -0.53 | Missed playoffs |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 41 | 41 | -0.58 | Missed playoffs |
| Golden State Warriors | 37 | 45 | -0.07 | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 37 | 45 | 0.02 | Missed playoffs |
| Phoenix Suns | 29 | 53 | -2.94 | Missed playoffs |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 28 | 54 | -3.74 | Missed playoffs |
Rules in force
| Free-throw lane width | 16 ft |
|---|---|
| Restricted area arc | 4 ft arc |
| Three-point line | 23 ft 9 in (22 ft corners) |
| Arm bar / forearm contact | allowed (source pending) |
| Defensive three seconds | enforced |
| Hand-checking | restricted (source pending) |
| Zone defense | legal |
| Flagrant fouls | flagrant 1 / flagrant 2 (source pending) |
| Team foul penalty (bonus) | bonus after team foul limit |
| Backcourt count | 8 seconds |
| Shot clock | 24 seconds |
See how each rule changed over time on the rules timeline.
What changed this season
No league-wide rule or format changes recorded for this season.