Looking at upcoming schedules MEM is really hard. They have UTA, OKC, BOS, TOR, MIL. Without JJJ 0-5 is possible, although by the end of that run TOR and MIL might be resting guys.
NOP meanwhile has a cake schedule. SAC, WAS, SAS, SAC, ORL. Everyone of those in winnable, and who knows ORL may be locked in by the last game and resting guys.
Of course NOP would need to beat MEM out by 3 games to finish ahead of them, otherwise some team would need to beat MEM twice in a row to take that spot during the play in. So if MEM went 1-4 the rest of the way NOP would need to go 4-1.
NOP probably has the best chance of taking the eight seed outright since POR, SAS, PHO schedules are all tough. Although POR only needs to be 2 games better than the MEM to overtake them.