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
Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) dunks over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, center, and Rockets guard Jalen Green, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, April 4, 2024, 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 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
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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.
