5 Takeaways from Game One
By Greg Chin
May 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) pumps his fist in the second half in game one of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
The Rockets and the Warriors play a very similar brand of basketball. Both offences prefer to play at an up-tempo pace and will try for three-point shots whenever they can. However, the Warriors are that much more efficient due to the fact that their starters can all pass and create shots for themselves.
For the Rockets, only James Harden can be classified as a consistent shot creator, and the rest of his teammates are beneficiaries. The Warriors can also rely on their motion offence to create shots, while the Rockets rely on their pick-and-roll action with Harden.
In the long run, the Warriors’ offence will win out. If the Rockets want to turn the game into a track meet and race them on the court, the Warriors will simply outdo them. They have played at a league-leading pace all season, and opponents who have been foolish enough to try and outpace them have lost badly. As we saw in the last round, slowing down the game and turning it into a grindfest is the way to go when taking on the Dubs.
The Warriors are basically a souped up and more efficient version of the Rockets. If the Rockets want to run, they had better prepare to lose.
Next: Curry MVP