NBA: Ranking the 2019 Christmas Day games
By Eliot Clough
3. Warriors and Rockets
With Kevin Durant leaving for the Brooklyn Nets, Klay Thompson out with an ACL tear and D’Angelo Russell joining the roster, the Golden State Warriors are going to look completely different in 2019.
With the addition of Russell Westbrook and departure of Chris Paul, the Houston Rockets‘ style of play could look completely different in 2019.
What won’t be different between the two franchises is the Rockets disposition of absolutely detesting the Warriors organization.
Having ended Houston’s bids at a championship four out of the last five seasons, the Rockets could see the coming season as their shot to dethrone the Warriors and finally get their bid at a championship.
And adding Westbrook, who of course lost his partner in crime Durant to the already established championship contender in 2016, the fondness for the Dubs can’t increase much.
In other words, this is going to be the game of the year for the Rockets franchise. On the other hand, for the Warriors, who have won three championships in the last five years, this will simply be another game against a talented team.
But expect Houston to come out, guns ablaze, wanting to put the hammer down on their Western-Conference nemesis.