Analyst Predicts Warriors vs. Rockets Series

The Houston Rockets are the No. 2 seed going into their playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, but that doesn't quite mean they are the favorite.

ESPN analyst Kevin Pelton predicts that the Rockets will lose in six games to the Warriors in their first-round series.

"Between Butler, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Golden State has a massive advantage in playoff experience. Houston's roster is actually in the middle of the pack in playoff minutes, but the bulk of those come from reserves Steven Adams and Jeff Green. Fred VanVleet, who helped the Toronto Raptors beat the Warriors in the 2019 Finals, and Dillon Brooks are the lone players in the Rockets' top-seven rotation who have ever played in the playoffs," Pelton writes.

"Historically, playoff experience is a major plus. Higher seeds like Houston with an experience disadvantage of 11,000 minutes or more (Golden State is plus-11,364) have won only 37% of best-of-seven series since 2003. Alternatively, the Rockets have younger, fresher legs. Most starters have played only once since beating the Warriors on April 6 at the Chase Center to clinch their seed, while Golden State played grueling games including an overtime loss to the Clippers in Sunday's regular-season finale and then a down-to-the wire win over the Grizzlies on Tuesday.

"And Houston has multiple quality defenders to throw at the Warriors' stars. NBA Defensive Player of the Year contender Amen Thompson was key in holding Curry to 1-of-10 shooting in the teams' previous meeting. The experience factor pushes me toward Golden State but expect a battle."

Experience has been Houston's biggest flaw, though it is something the team cannot change. That will be put to the test against Golden State, arguably the most experienced team in the field.

That is what the series will come down to. The Rockets have the size and defensive advantages on the Warriors, so if the moment isn't too big for them, they should win the series. If not, the Warriors will beat the Rockets once again.