NBA First Round Preview: Warriors vs Rockets

Photo Credit: ABC13.com

The Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets will meet in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, starting on Saturday. The Rockets barely got into the playoffs, after a season filled with controversy and injuries. The Rockets reward for getting in: playing the all-time winningest team in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors broke the ’95-96 Bulls record for most wins in one season on Wednesday. The Warriors finished with a record of 73-9, and they have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. These teams met in the Western Conference Finals last season, the Warriors were the victors, winning in five games. The Rockets have had a roller-coaster season this year.

 After success last year, the team got off to an early season slump, which prompted the firing of Kevin McHale. Interim coach J.B Bickerstaff was thrust into the role, and the Rockets were improving on their performance. However, there were still major issues going around the team. Trade rumors about Dwight Howard were swirling, and the team chemistry was suffering. However, a late season turnaround, and a collapse by the Utah Jazz has the Rockets in the playoffs yet again. Both teams will be relying on their offenses during this series.

The Warriors ranked first in the league in total offense this season. They averaged 114 points during the season, and they 41% from beyond the arc. Golden State can also rely on its defense, which gave up an average of 104 points this season. The Rockets have no choice but to rely on their offense. They rank 14^th in total offense, as they average about 106 points per game. The defense for Houston has been a different story.

They rank 26^th in the entire league in defense, and they allow opponents to shoot 45% from the field. What makes the Rockets dangerous is James Harden. Harden is one of the best pure shooters in the game, and he can go off in an instant. Harden is averaging 29 points this year, he also leads the team in assists with 7.5 per game. Houston will need to heavily rely on him, if the Rockets have any chance to compete in this series.

If he plays like he did in the Conference Finals last season, the Rockets will be in big trouble. Not only will they have to worry about Harden’s performance, but they’ll have to worry about guarding Steph Curry. Curry averaged 30 points this season, and he made 402 threes this season, which obliterated his previous record. Klay Thompson averaged 22.6 points this season, and Draymond Green averaged 14 points this season.

This means Houston will have to defend three scorers who averaged just about 15 points or more. Also, don’t forget the Warriors have a bench that includes Marresse Speights, Shaun Livingston, and Andre Iguodala. Other than James Harden, the Rockets have really no one to rely on. With a porous defense, it seems nearly impossible that Houston will be able to compete with Steph Curry and the Warriors.