3 Crucial advantages the Houston Rockets have vs the Warriors

The Houston Rockets didn't want the Warriors in the first round.

Fans can bluster. They'll inevitably feel that their guys can beat anyone. That doesn't change the reality that this is a difficult matchup. The Grizzlies would have been preferable.

Despite having a substantial seeding advantage, the Rockets are viewed as underdogs. The Warriors will be difficult to beat. Luckily, the Rockets do have some advantages over them.

Here are 3 of them.

1. Size

In some respects, these two organizations are trending in opposite directions.

The Warriors have played quite small since acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline. They've been starting Draymond Green at the 5, with Butler at the 4 and Moses Moody at the 3. It resembles the Death Lineups that pioneered an era of small ball in the NBA:

A bygone era.

The Rockets have been playing jumbo ball. They've leaned into lineups that pair Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun. Those lineups dominate the glass and create space for the Rockets' shooters with the most lethal screening in the NBA.

Will the Rockets deploy those lineups against the Warriors' micro-ball looks? It's hard to say. In fairness, having two guys who struggle to defend in space could mean open season for Steph Curry. On the other hand, the Rockets could dominate the minutes, while the Warriors effectively match a 4 and a 3 with two 5s.

Even if the Rockets don't go with their double bigs against those Death Lineups, they can create size advantages in numerous ways against the Warriors. With Amen Thompson's positional versatility, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason, the Rockets will just be bigger than Golden State. Rockets fans should look forward to bully ball.

2. Athleticism

I could have said youth. The Rockets have fresher legs heading into this series. That matters.

So does the Warriors' experience advantage. If we're being generous, this is a wash. If we're being realistic, it's likely an advantage for the Warriors.

Still, with youth comes athleticism. That's an unambiguous advantage for the Rockets. It could tie into the size advantage. Part of the benefit of a so-called Death Lineup is the ability to run your opposition off the floor.

The Warriors will not run the Rockets off the floor.

It could go the other way. The Rockets need to create as many transition opportunities as possible and capitalize on them. That could be a winning formula against a Warriors team that will want to avoid running with them whenever possible.

3. Cohesion

The Warriors have been rolling since acquiring Butler. They've had a 9.1 Net Rating since the All-Star break. That far exceeds their season-wide Net Rating of 3.2. So, adding Butler should give them an advantage against the Rockets, right?

Sure. Let's assume Playoff Jimmy comes to town. He can be an unstoppable force. As an unstoppable force, he expects to have the ball. Will the Warriors be caught adjusting their hierarchy on the fly?

By contrast, the Rockets know exactly who they are. They made minimal acquisitions at the deadline. They hardly even made changes this summer. Outside of incorporating Adams into their game plan, the Rockets are the same team they were in 2023-24.

That could be an advantage against a substantially new Warriors group. These Rockets know each other, and they play for each other. Time will tell whether the Warriors can say the same.

All we know for now is that they were able to beat the Grizzlies.