Fansided

5 teams who need to make the 2017 NBA Playoffs

By Noah Strackbein

Feb 23, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forwards DeMarcus Cousins (left) talks Anthony Davis before their game against the Houston Rockets at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forwards DeMarcus Cousins (left) talks Anthony Davis before their game against the Houston Rockets at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /
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1. Sacramento Kings

The only thing worse than being on the winning end of the blockbuster trade is being considered the loser. The league-wide consensus is that the Sacramento Kings were embarrassed with the DeMarcus Cousins trade. None of which was helped by general manager, Vlade Divac, telling the media that he had a better trade offer two days before the deadline. On top of it all, Divac also said that if the Cousins trade doesn’t work out in two years, he’ll step down as GM.

If there wasn’t pressure for this team to make the playoffs with the trade alone, there certainly is now. More and more people are beginning to believe that Sacramento is the most disorganized organization in sports and the Boogie trade just added fuel to the fire. There’s no time to wait for this deal to work. If Sacramento wants any respect from the sports world, they need to prove they can win immediately.

Next: The Sacramento Kings adjust to life after DeMarcus Cousins

Divac may not have meant to add all the extra pressure to this squad, but that’s the unfortunate byproduct of this deal. The trade looks bad and they need something positive to point to. With the eighth seed just one-and-a-half games out of reach, Sacramento could be eyeing a playoff berth.

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