1. Warriors sweep Rockets in Western Conference Finals
After punching their ticket to the postseason, the second-seed Rockets cruise through the first round. Then, they make quick work of their opponent in the Western Conference semifinals.
A clash with the Golden State Warriors during the Western Conference Finals, though, is a different story.
Last season, it took all seven games for that battle royale to produce a victor. In 2019, it’ll all come crashing down on the Rockets in the span of only four games.
Yes, the Warriors are that good heading into 2018-19. With all of their usual suspects and DeMarcus Cousins joining the mix, it’s just too difficult to imagine this club not slicing through the Western Conference playoffs like a hot knife through butter.
As great as the Rockets can be this season, they’ll be little more than a speed bump for the two-time reigning champions.
Harden and Paul will do their usual thing, keeping Houston alive no matter what. However, without the defense of Trevor Ariza and the inconsistent scoring of a fading Carmelo, the Rockets are going to have a hard time keeping up with one of the greatest squads in NBA history.
Folks will try to spin it as a stroke of bad luck. However, there’s no tip-toeing around the fact that the Rockets simply aren’t as talented as the Warriors this season.
Barring some major injury or complete meltdown on Golden State’s part, the Western Conference belongs to the Bay Area in 2018-19.