With the NBA regular season winding down, it is time to take a look at potential playoff matchups for the Houston Rockets. Today we will be analyzing the worst first-round matchup for the Rockets.
Worse Case Scenario Matchup - Golden State Warriors
If the cover photo did not give it away, the worst first-round matchup for the Houston Rockets is the Golden State Warriors. This is for numerous reasons. First of all, Houston has struggled offensively versus the Warriors, posting an offensive rating of only 101. Moreover, the Rockets have shot under 30 percent from three in the four matchups with the Warriors this season.
Another issue Houston has with the Warriors is that they play a more unconventional lineup by starting power foward Draymond Green at center which causes overall chaos.
However, what would perhaps be the biggest wild card in terms of a Rockets-Warriors playoff series would be Jimmy Butler. This season, all of Houston’s games versus the Warriors (one in-season tournament game and three regular season games) occurred before the Jimmy Butler trade. The addition of Butler adds another threat to the Warriors roster, whereas beforehand, Houston needed to gameplan mainly for Steph, and maybe Buddy Hield.
However, perhaps the main reason I do not want the Rockets to play the Warriors in the first round is because of previous history. The Warriors have handed Houston four straight playoff series losses dating back to the 2015 playoffs. That first series loss hurts extra for me. After watching the Rockets lose, I vowed to never root for or support the Golden State Warriors as long as I lived.
Fast forward to my first full NBA season as a fan, and who do the Rockets meet in the Western Conference Finals, but the Golden State Warriors. I remember watching Chris Paul get hurt and not fully understanding the implications. I remember finding out he was out for Game Seven, and I was there for all 27 of the missed threes. The heartbreak of that Western Conference finals was enough for a good few years for me, but of course, Houston faced the Warriors again in the playoffs the following season. Basically, the Golden State Warriors were one of the many reasons I needed therapy as a teenager.
Safe to say the Golden State Warriors would be a matchup nightmare for Houston, and the Rockets need to avoid them at all costs.