Golden State lost a de facto elimination game to Denver on Thursday night, all but scuttling the Warriors’ playoff chances despite the fact they still have a shot to win 50 games. That understandable frustration prompted Warriors coach Don Nelson to suggest the teams with the NBA’s 16 best records should qualify for the postseason, conference allotments be damned.

Here’s guessing that proposal doesn’t get off the ground. And here’s guessing, further, that the concept will soon be moot. The law of averages says the imbalance between East and West will even out, but something more compelling than that suggests it’s imminent.

It started last week, when the Knicks tapped Indiana’s highly respected Donnie Walsh to save the NBA for New York. And it continued Friday at the Pistons’ expense when Milwaukee reached into Joe Dumars’ front office to snare his trusted first lieutenant, John Hammond, as general manager, with Hammond scheduled to be introduced to the Milwaukee media and public on Saturday afternoon.

It was bound to happen, sooner or later. Hammond has rebuffed overtures for the past several seasons from the likes of Toronto and Portland and Seattle. Leaving the Pistons is not something Hammond takes lightly. He’s worked for other NBA franchises, the Clippers and Timberwolves, unlike Dumars, a Pistons lifer since being drafted by Jack McCloskey 23 years ago.

And Hammond continually reminded Dumars how good he has it here, given carte blanche to run the basketball operation as he sees fit by owner William Davidson, a risk-taking businessman who encourages risk-taking in those he hires without fear of second-guessing.

That’s two top executives in two seasons the Pistons have lost, Seattle giving former Pistons No. 3 man Scott Perry the No. 2 position in its front office last spring. Dumars reacted swiftly to fill Perry’s position, grabbing ex-Denver assistant GM Jeff Weltman. Replacing Hammond might be a little trickier because of the unique relationship he and Dumars held.

Dumars has surrounded himself with nothing but bright, competent people – from Hammond to Weltman to personnel director George David to international scouting guru Tony Ronzone – but Hammond was the constant. Every time you watched a Pistons game these past several seasons, home or road, and the camera found Dumars, that was Hammond at his side.

Dumars recently told me that Hammond was invaluable to him because he often saw things from a different perspective that Dumars found enlightening. The two mostly agreed on matters of personnel and strategy and direction, but it was in those instances where they didn’t that helped Dumars reach critical decisions. Make no mistake – those tough decisions are always Dumars’ and his alone to make, but the input Hammond provided made them more informed decisions.

“John was an assistant coach here when I was a player and I made a quick assessment of him then: a hard-working man of integrity, very ethical, very detailed,” Dumars said. “You file that away, and when it comes time to putting a staff together and you’re looking for exactly those traits, John Hammond has all of that.

“John is the consummate guy for me. He’s a great sounding board. One of the good things about our relationship is we sit and watch games together and see it from a different perspective. He sees it as a coach and I see it as a player. It’s good for me to hear it from a coach’s perspective.

“We complement each other because we often have different opinions. A lot of times we agree, but we talk about everything – players, strategy, tactics. We’ll sit and talk and debate and it’s always good. That’s as healthy a thing as you can have when you’re in the decision-making process, and John’s contributions are invaluable.”

It remains to be seen how Dumars deals with the void left by Hammond’s departure. When Perry left, he told Hammond it was his goal to find the absolute best person to take his place. This time, it’s not just about finding the most talented person, but about finding the person who can be for him what Hammond was – that perfect sounding board, a person who helps him see players or coaches or trade proposals from a different angle, so he can make all the critical decisions that go into fielding a basketball team in the brightest possible light.

He might decide that person is already on the staff. Weltman, David or Ronzone are all highly respected around the league and all, in fact, have had their names linked to other franchises looking to emulate what the Pistons have accomplished – active streaks of seven 50-win seasons and five trips to the conference finals with one NBA title and one near-miss, all managed without the benefit of a consensus superstar or the albatross of an ill-considered contract.

But interviewing for it will be kind of tricky. What’s he going to do? Invite candidates to sit with him during a week’s worth of games and share insights to see which one most completes his perspective? Tricky hire, this one. Consider this move the Pistons’ contribution to the NBA’s redistribution of power.