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With the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors advancing from the semifinals in the Western Conference, they're set to play in a matchup many predicted back in November. This series will pit the most efficient offense in NBA history (Houston) against the greatest ensemble of talent the league has ever seen (Golden State). It's going to be a heck of a battle so let's dive into what the 3 keys are to the Rockets knocking off the defending champs.
1. Run the shooters off the three-point line.
As much as Draymond Green has been the identity of the Warriors, we all know their true calling card lies in the shooting and scoring ability of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant.
Houston is going to have to force them to drive to the basket and meet rim-protector Clint Capela at the rim. They can't let Curry, Thompson, Durant, and to a lesser extent Nick Young, shoot open threes and expect to win.
2. Live with Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala jumpshots.
Now if the Rockets really key in on the trio of shooters, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala
are going to get a lot of good looks. And they will hit some obviously but Houston should be content giving up threes to a 30% and 28% 3-pt shooter. Better Green and "Iggy" than Curry, Klay, or Durant.
3. James Harden and Chris Paul are going to have to take over games.
James Harden is going to be the MVP. Chris Paul is arguably a top 5 point guard of all time. They have to be big time if Houston wants to win this series. Mostly I would look for who has the matchup with Steph Curry. Curry will likely be matched up with Paul for a majority of the series but the Rockets love to create switches that favor them so Harden will see a lot of time with Steph guarding him. But it's up to the Rockets to capitalize and on Monday we will see if they do. .