2018 NBA Playoffs: Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors preview

Individual matchups

While coach Steve Kerr deployed the “Hamptons 5” of Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in the final two games of the New Orleans Pelicans series, there is still a chance he reverts to the traditional lineup for at least the beginning of this series. So, for all intents and purposes, let’s take a look at the matchups by position:

PG: Chris Paul vs. Stephen Curry

This is a classic matchup. Clearly Curry should have the offensive edge, but Chris Paul has had some great offensive outings against Curry this season, including 28 points in a loss on Jan. 4 and 33 points in a win on Jan. 20. Steph will have to protect the ball better as he averaged 3.8 turnovers per game in the Pelicans series and will face smothering defense from a highly motivated Chris Paul.

Meanwhile, Curry looks like he has slipped into a groove as a couple of quiet nights against the Pelicans were bookended by 28-point performances. As long as his injury that kept him out the remaining 15 games of the regular season doesn’t flare up again, look for a refreshed superstar ready to pounce. Advantage: Warriors

SG: James Harden vs. Klay Thompson

This is another historic matchup as one of the best and perhaps most underrated shooters of all time in Klay Thompson goes toe-to-toe with one of the most enigmatic talents of the generation in James Harden.

Both will get their share of buckets, but the difference is that if Harden gets shut down on any given night, it will make a lot more headlines than Klay.

While Klay did have a 28-point performance against this Rockets team this season, when Luc Mbah a Moute starts at small forward, not only did the Rockets win, but Klay struggled mightily, going for eight and 16 points, shooting an average of 34.5 percent from the field in those games. That just might be a part of the game plan, especially considering Trevor Ariza’s offensive struggles against Utah In any case, the likely MVP gets the slight nod here. Advantage: Rockets

SF: Trevor Ariza vs. Kevin Durant

We are keeping Ariza in the lineup for now because there is no indication that he will be benched for Mbah a Moute, but clearly it may be a beneficial move. In the end, there is still a great chance that given Ariza’s savvy and playoff (and Finals) experience, he will likely get the nod to D up Kevin Durant.

KD went for 20 and 26 points in his two games against this Rockets team, and while he is indeed matchup proof, the Rockets will need to contain him if they want to win the series with some combination of Ariza, Mbah a Moute and help-D from P.J. Tucker.

Durant is going to thrive if the Rockets let him have his way and simply hope their up-tempo offense outshoots the Warriors. Therefore, they must continue to focus on the defense that has made them a dynamic and historic squad this season if they want to keep Durant in check. Advantage: Warriors

PF: P.J. Tucker vs. Draymond Green

Draymond Green’s triple-doubles mean victories for this team, and that is still the case against the Rockets. In three matchups against Houston, only when Draymond has had a triple-double have the Warriors won. While P.J. Tucker did not start in all three matchups this season, he played 27 and 29 minutes in the victories they had over these Warriors. As a matter of fact, when Tucker only played 22 minutes, Draymond dropped a triple-double and the Warriors won.

Of course, there are plenty of other moving pieces to the puzzle, but in his three matches, Draymond has averaged 0.3 blocks and 1.6 steals. While that beats his 1.4 steals per game on the season, it falls far behind his 1.3 blocks per game throughout the season. Draymond will have to work hard for his defensive stats. His shot selection (and subsequent field goal percentage) will matter a lot as well. P.J. Tucker has done a great job on him and now that he is likely starting it will be interesting to see if Green can break the trend. Advantage: Warriors

C: Clint Capela vs. JaVale McGee

This is the least consequential of matchups, mainly because there is a big chance that Andre Iguodala will play most of the meaningful minutes ahead of JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia or whoever Steve Kerr “starts” at center. However, whether the Warriors trot out a traditional lineup or not, Clint Capela will continue to thrive off the pick-and-roll as he has all season.

Capela’s rebounding is a catalyst to the Rockets’ success this season. The Warriors will compensate for this through Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. And while Durant averaged six rebounds in two matchups with this team, at his size, don’t count on too many contested rebounds against big bodies like Tucker and Capela.

If you’re counting on Iggy and Draymond to fight for gritty rebounding, that is a safe bet. In the end, containing the pick-and-roll game for Capela will be the biggest key to the big man matchup. Advantage: Rockets