Rockets fans should be pulling for one outcome in play-in game

The Houston Rockets are not afraid of anyone.

That's been evident throughout 2024-25. The Rockets play with a chip on their shoulders. Their head coach and spiritual leader, Ime Udoka, personifies the squad. The Rockets won't take any you-know-what from anybody.

That's not to say the fans should feel the same.

If you do, that's wonderful. Your gumption is noted. More rational Rockets fans will have a preferred outcome of tonight's play-in game. The Warriors and Grizzlies will battle for the privilege of going to war with the Rockets in the first round.

You probably know where this is going.

Rockets fans should be Grizzlies fans for one night

They should want the Grizzlies. Although, a look at the season-long stats may suggest differently.

The Grizzlies surprisingly have the highest Net Rating of these three squads at 4.7 (6th). The Rockets narrowly trail them at 4.6 (7th), while the Warriors are all the way down at 3.2 (10th).

The NBA season is long. Those stats incorporate the entire year. That's not necessarily representative of what's happening in April.

After the All-Star break, the Warriors have a 9.1 Net Rating. That's third in the NBA. The Rockets are at 5.1 (8th), while the Grizzlies plummet to 17th (0.3).

The Grizzlies had a hot start to the 2024-25 season, but they've fallen apart. The Warriors have been hot.

There's a clear reason for that

Rockets rivals are different team after blockbuster trade

Some critics will observe that Jimmy Butler's stats with the Warriors have been below his career standard.

That's certainly true. Still, nobody should sneeze at 17.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. More broadly, nobody should dismiss what's likely a direct causal link between the Warriors acquiring Jimmy Butler and the Warriors improving considerably.

He gives them an extra shot creator that needs to be accounted for. Guarding Steph Curry becomes more difficult when a dynamic offensive player like Butler is in the lineup. Say Amen Thompson can neutralize Curry. Would anybody be shocked if Jimmy Butler went into the same mode that helped him lead the Heat to the NBA Finals just a short time ago?

The Warriors will be a formidable challenge. That's not to say the Rockets can't beat them. Golden State has been leaning on Draymond Green at the 5 since acquiring Butler to improve their spacing. The Rockets could exploit that with their wildly successful double big man lineup.

Either matchup would be interesting. Still, the numbers suggest that Memphis would be the better matchup. Having just fired their head coach, it feels likely that this team is disorganized enough to capitalize on:

Here's hoping that doesn't stop them from beating the Warriors.