The evidence is clear.
The 2015 Western Conference playoffs always figured to be a brutal affair, with quality clubs looming in every possible matchup. There are, however, certain teams to be avoided at all costs, and other teams which provide somewhat more amenable challenges.
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey knows this all too well. It's his job not only to get his team to the playoffs, but to secure the best possible first-round matchup. Ever the tactician, Morey did what any chess grandmaster would do -- he sacrificed his most important piece in order to check mate his rival.