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How should Houston try to stop Golden State's Hamptons Five? What's most exciting about this Western Conference finals matchup?
Our NBA experts answer the big questions and make predictions for Rockets-Warriors.
1. What are you most excited to watch in this series?
Marc J. Spears, The Undefeated:The matchup between the two star backcourts. You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. vs. You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.., You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. vs. You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. Something has to give. Someone is going to fatigue. Someone is going to get crossed over. And when that happens, who is going to step up offensively in that spot? Haven't seen a playoff backcourt matchup like this in a while.
Royce Young, ESPN.com:Everything. It's the two best teams from the season playing each other, with storylines and stars and narratives and even some trash-talk mixed in. It's kind of all you could want in a series.
Andrew Han, ESPN.com: Great defense going down in flames to greater offense. It's one thing to see high-scoring games because one team overwhelms another, but high-octane offenses pulverizing the two staunchest defenses in the postseason will make for a sweeping series of sonorous scoring.
Micah Adams, ESPN Stats & Info:This is the series everyone has wanted all along, and I love that Houston gets its shot. General manager Daryl Morey has admitted that the entire franchise is You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., and I'm excited to see what happens when -- unlike in the regular season -- everyone is available and each team has the other's undivided attention. How do Morey's pieces all fit? Will the iso sets continue to work? Can Harden be the best player in this series? There are too many subplots to pick just one.
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: How Houston's switching defense holds up against Golden State. As successful as the strategy has been all season, clearly it was designed specifically to deal with the way the Warriors force defenses to switch. Will a season's worth of practice, plus personnel choices, pay off?
2. Which non-All-Star will you be paying closest attention to?
Han: Can You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. (or You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) sink open shots? When the Warriors trot out the Hamptons Five (or any Hamptons-adjacent) lineup, Mbah a Moute allows for the necessary defensive switching in order to stay with Golden State. If he's able to hit 3s at his regular-season mark (36.4 percent, versus 20 percent in the postseason), Mbah a Moute will prove to be a crucial anchor for the Rockets' plan of attack ... or defense, I should say.
Pelton: You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. How well Capela holds up switching on Curry, and whether he can create problems on the offensive glass when the Warriors switch smaller defenders on him, will go a long way toward determining the outcome of this series.
Spears: For the Warriors, it is forward You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. The 2015 NBA Finals MVP is an underrated part of the Hamptons Five. If Iguodala plays well, the Warriors are very tough to beat. Capela is that player for Houston. Capela rebounds, dunks and blocks shots. Keep an eye on Capela after he said the Rockets were better following a victory over the Warriors on Jan. 20.
Adams: Capela doesn't count, since he's been performing like an All-Star the entire season and just outplayed both You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. and You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. in back-to-back series. I'll go with Tucker. Although Morey added lots of wing depth to counteract Golden State's positionless basketball, none is as important as Tucker, who will see lots of You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. and You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Young: Capela. He was absolutely dominant in the series against Utah, but he's going to be asked to do so much more against the Warriors. He'll have to do the usual stuff of protecting the rim, but how does he handle being on an island caught on a switch with Steph or KD? He's going to have a lot of responsibility in this series.
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Pelton: I think the Rockets should start out trying to play their typical starting five. If Capela proves incapable of defending this group, then Tucker sliding down to center with You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. giving Houston another shooter is a nice adjustment to have.
Young: Paul, Harden, Gordon, Ariza, Tucker. Just go all in, supersmall. Draymond Green isn't going to beat you up inside, and Tucker can dig in and defend there. The Rockets could switch everything, work to space out the floor and try and outscore the Warriors. It's a risky group, but why not go to the extreme?
Adams: TBD, which is kind of the point. I'm curious to see how Mike D'Antoni and his staff adjust as the series progresses. Remember, the Hamptons Five is essentially the evolution of the Death Lineup, which itself came into its own only after Steve Kerr's adjustment -- You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. -- after falling down 2-1 in the 2015 Finals. Is Houston's best answer to the Hamptons Five a lineup? Is it a specific action? Is it a specific matchup?
Han: Foul trouble. The Rockets should attack Green as early and often as possible to limit the number of minutes the Hamptons Five can get on the floor. If Green's minutes can be limited in crunchtime, it frees up Houston to play its own destructive small-ball lineup.
Spears: Wow. That's a really good question. The best thing is to get the Warriors into foul trouble so they can't use it. Perhaps if Capela does really well, it forces the Warriors to bring one of their own bigs into the game to counter him. Prayer can also be helpful.
4. Will the result of this series say more about the Warriors or the Rockets?
Adams: The Rockets are trying to take down a titan. But the Warriors are trying to rewrite legacies and record books. They are the team attempting to win a third championship in four seasons, with a clock ticking before someYou do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. If the Warriors can beat Houston -- a team constructed with the sole purpose of beating them -- it further legitimizes Golden State's quest to be considered the best team in NBA history.
dyan.