The Golden State Warriors should breathe a sigh of relief that the Portland Trail Blazers are in the NBA Playoffs and not the NBA Draft Lottery.
The Golden State Warriors have enough troubles to worry about heading into next season. One thing they didn’t need to be added to the list was the potential for Portland to grow even better by adding a top talent in the NBA Draft. Luckily, they won’t have to agonize over this as the Trail Blazers have fought their way into the postseason.
Portland battled up the standings into the eight seed behind unbelievable play from unanimous bubble MVP, Damian Lillard. Dame averaged over 50 points per game in the final three outings to force a play-in tournament with the Memphis Grizzlies who were long-standing in the playoff picture before the NBA traveled to Orlando.
On Saturday, the Blazers defeated the Grizzlies in a thrilling play-in game. This set the precedent for the format moving forward and had a huge ripple effect across the rest of the league.
Now, young and upcoming teams like the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns and Grizzlies will enter the NBA Draft Lottery on August 20. The Warriors still hold the top odds of winning the first overall pick but it’s very possible one of those other teams nab a quality prospect somewhere in the first round.
While the Dubs have reason to fear those rising squads – they still have a clear advantage over them due to a lack of experience. However, a Blazers team with an additional weapon would have proven to be detrimental to the Dubs championship hopes. The Warriors should sleep easy knowing they don’t have to worry about that reality just yet.
Instead, the Dubs need to focus their attention on the true title-contending teams that will now begin their playoff run. Keep a close watch on the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks for a preview of what’s in store for Golden State next year.