Everyone knows the Houston Rockets are built in the image of a squad supposed to beat the Golden State Warriors.
Sure, you can tell that just by looking at their depth chart. Yes, you can also tell by looking at some of the lineup combinations head coach Mike D’Antoni runs out. Indeed, the number of threes they jack is another harbinger of their quest to take down the reigning NBA champions.
Really, though, you don’t need any type of sleuthing, however basic, to confirm the Rockets’ foremost obsession. After all, general manager Daryl Morey is extremely open about it. Most recently, in fact, he told ESPN Radio’s The Ryen Russillo Show that his team doesn’t think about anything else:
“It’s the only thing we think about,” Morey said on ESPN Radio’s The Ryen Russillo Show on Thursday. “I think I’m not supposed to say that, but we’re basically obsessed with ‘How do we beat the Warriors?’
“Last year the Spurs knocked us off, so we’re very worried about the Spurs, they’re always one step ahead of every organization and guard us better than anyone. But we calculated it — it’s like 90 percent if we’re gonna win a title, we’ve gotta obviously beat the Warriors at some point. So we’re extremely focused on that. A lot of our signings and what we do during the year is based on that.”
It’s refreshing to hear a general manager be so candid. Morey doesn’t try deflecting; he doesn’t lie about viewing the Warriors in the same vein as he sees every other team. The road to a title still leads through them, and the Rockets want to win a title. Ergo, they’ll have to go through the Warriors to meet their goal. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.
It also doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Houston currently profiles as one of the two biggest threats to Golden State. It might even be the biggest threat, though we should probably default to the Cleveland Cavaliers because 1) they have LeBron James and 2) they’re more likely to reach the NBA Finals since they needn’t go through the Warriors to get there.
Still, the Rockets are in that foremost mix as well. They have the NBA’s best record, the first-place offensive rating and, most impressively, a top-seven defense. That balance rivals the Warriors’ superb dynamic on paper—right down to switchable, wing-heavy lineups. The Rockets can now use P.J. Tucker, Luc Mbah a Moute (when healthy) and Trevor Ariza at the three frontcourt spots whenever Golden State rolls with Draymond Green at center.
Will this all work against the Warriors when put into practice? Only a playoff showdown will tell. And from the looks of things, we’re going to get that showdown, most likely in the Western Conference Finals.
