HOUSTON – Weaknesses will be difficult to find in the Warriors’ first-round Western Conference playoff series against the second-seeded Houston Rockets.
Neither team has a glaring weak spot, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t advantages.
Here’s how Golden State (48-34) stacks up against Houston (52-30) at each position – plus coaching – ahead of Game 1 on Sunday:
POINT GUARD
Warriors: Steph Curry
Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Aaron Holiday
Breakdown: VanVleet (14.1 points per game) is a solid starting point guard who helped beat Curry’s Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals as a member of the Toronto Raptors. But Curry (24.5 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 (11.7 ppg) appeared to be breaking out offensively before hitting a brief slump in the last week of the season, and Hield (203 made 3-pointers) is a mercurial off-the-bench shooter who can go for 30 in any game. However, Jalen Green (21 ppg) is a bonafide scorer with a 40-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 (9.8 ppg, 0.8 steals per game) has been the team’s top stopper on the perimeter and has remained a dangerous 3-and-D scorer next to his more ball-dominant teammates. However, Amen Thompson (14.1 ppg, 1.4 spg, 1.3 blocks per game) is arguably the best 1-through-4 defender in the league and has a blossoming offensive game built around his generational athleticism. Tari Eason is also a versatile defensive forward.
Advantage: Rockets
POWER FORWARD
Warriors: Jimmy Butler, Gui Santos, Jonathan Kuminga
Rockets: Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith
Breakdown: “Playoff Jimmy” – who scored 38 points in the Warriors’ play-in victory against Memphis – is one of the great postseason performers of his generation and one of the few stars in the league capable of taking over a game by himself. Brooks (14.0 ppg) and Smith are good players, but there’s an appreciable gap. Santos (1.3 offensive rebounds per game) 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
Breakdown: This one is too close to call. Sengun (19.1 ppg, 10.3 rebounds per game) is an all-star and Adams (2.9 orpg) is arguably the league’s best offensive rebounder. Green (1.5 spg, 1.0 bpg) is a front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year, Quinten Post (40.8 3-point 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 (2022 NBA Finals) when Udoka coached the Boston Celtics.
Advantage: Warriors
SERIES PREDICTION
The Rockets have athleticism, but the Warriors have championship pedigree.
Warriors in 6.