3. Western Conference Playoff race just got a bit more interesting
New Orleans heads into the unofficial second half just 1.5 games behind Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot out west. With the Oklahoma City Thunder pretty much a lock to earn a top-seven seed, this means six squads are battling for the right to likely play Golden State in the first round. Considering one of those teams is Sacramento, we can logically conclude five squads are in the thick of it.
At this point, we can’t simply conclude that New Orleans will run away with the eighth seed just because it acquired Boogie. That would be foolish. Heck, Denver added Mason Plumlee to the mix and has the capability of trading for another top-end player.
But this surely does change the entire dynamic out west. Imagine New Orleans taking on the Warriors in the first round. How exactly will Golden State defend the monster tandem of Davis and Cousins? Can we really draw the conclusion that Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee and Draymond Green have what it takes? May this force the Warriors to be more active in the trade market than they first suggested?
It also sets up a scenario where teams like Denver, Portland, Minnesota and Dallas potentially look to be more active. Simply put, trades of this ilk are rare in the NBA. That’s only magnified when said trade is made during the season and just a few days from the deadline itself.