Matchups: Where do Warriors have advantage over Rockets in NBA playoff series?
HOUSTON Weaknesses will be laborious to find in the Warriors first-round Western Conference playoff series against the second-seeded Houston Rockets Neither group has a glaring weak spot but that doesn t mean there aren t advantages Here s how Golden State - stacks up against Houston - at each position plus coaching ahead of Encounter on Sunday POINT GUARD Warriors Steph Curry Rockets Fred VanVleet Aaron Holiday Breakdown VanVleet points per encounter is a solid starting point guard who helped beat Curry s Warriors in the NBA Finals as a member of the Toronto Raptors But Curry ppg is arguably the greatest point guard of all time and still plays at an elite level There s just no comparison Advantage Warriors SHOOTING GUARD Warriors Brandin Podziemski Buddy Hield Rockets Jalen Green Breakdown Podziemski ppg appeared to be latest out offensively before hitting a brief slump in the last week of the season and Hield made -pointers is a mercurial off-the-bench shooter who can go for in any battle However Jalen Green ppg is a bonafide scorer with a -inch vertical who has also shown a willingness to defend and pass Green s higher ceiling gives him a slight edge Advantage Rockets SMALL FORWARD Warriors Moses Moody Rockets Amen Thompson Tari Eason Breakdown Moses Moody ppg steals per competition has been the unit s top stopper on the perimeter and has remained a dangerous -and-D scorer next to his more ball-dominant teammates However Amen Thompson ppg spg blocks per tournament is arguably the best -through- defender in the league and has a blossoming offensive event built around his generational athleticism Tari Eason is also a versatile defensive forward Advantage Rockets Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson dunks over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green center and Rockets guard Jalen Green left during the first half of an NBA basketball event Thursday April in Houston AP Photo Michael Wyke POWER FORWARD Warriors Jimmy Butler Gui Santos Jonathan Kuminga Rockets Dillon Brooks Jabari Smith Breakdown Playoff Jimmy who scored points in the Warriors play-in mastery against Memphis is one of the great postseason performers of his generation and one of the scarce stars in the league capable of taking over a match by himself Brooks ppg and Smith are good players but there s an appreciable gap Santos offensive rebounds per competition is also a wildcard on the offensive glass and Kuminga s athleticism could be a factor if he gets playing time Advantage Warriors CENTER Warriors Draymond Green Kevon Looney Quinten Post Rockets Alperen Sengun Steven Adams Related Articles How Warriors plan to combat Houston s rough-and-tumble style in playoffs Five stats and milestones that explain Steph Curry s incredible season for Warriors Klay Thompson leads Mavericks past Kings in play-in after last year s dud with Warriors Can Jimmy Butler fuel a Warriors playoff run like prior midseason acquisitions for Bay Area teams Kuminga still doesn t know the first rule of the NBA He ll stay on the bench until he learns it Breakdown This one is too close to call Sengun PPG RPG is an all-star and Adams ORPG is arguably the league s best offensive rebounder Green SPG BPG is a front-runner for Defensive Member of the Year Quinten Post FG is a revelation as a rookie stretch big and Looney remains a solid rebounder and screen-setter Advantage Even COACHING Warriors Steve Kerr Rockets Ime Udoka Breakdown Both are great coaches and Udoka has taken Houston from laughingstock to a legitimate contender But Kerr has won four championships and has repeatedly proven himself under the brightest lights He also has won a head-to-head series between the two NBA Finals when Udoka coached the Boston Celtics Advantage Warriors SERIES PREDICTION The Rockets have athleticism but the Warriors have championship pedigree Warriors in
