Rockets’ worst nightmare comes true as first-round exit becomes real possibility

The Houston Rockets are mere days away from playing their first postseason game since 2020. It's a momentous occasion for an organization that has torn itself down, built itself back up, and created a culture that has those around the NBA in awe of the tenacity with which the team plays.

Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario has officially played out, as the Rockets will host the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Houston is good enough to compete with any team in the NBA. It went 52-30 during the regular season, compiling records of 23-19 against teams that finished at .500 or better, and 8-5 during games that were decided by three points or less.

Unfortunately, the narratives following the Rockets into the playoffs are difficult to avoid—and Golden State is the perfect team to exploit those potential weaknesses.

Despite its resounding regular-season success, Houston is one of the most inexperienced teams in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Furthermore, the Rockets enter the postseason without a clear go-to option during the type of games that require a star to step up and lead their team to victory.

If there's any team that can exploit those issues, it's a Warriors squad that's as experienced and star-studded as any in the current field.

Warriors are a nightmare matchup for Rockets in the first round

Veteran leaders such as Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks, and Fred VanVleet have helped set the tone for the up-and-coming Rockets. Their commitment to hard-nosed defense has been infectious, as has their invaluable postseason experience.

For as true as that may be, six of the Rockets' top eight players in minutes per game will be making their postseason debuts during Game 1 of the series with the Warriors.

That list of players will include leading scorer Jalen Green, All-Star center Alperen Sengun, and defensive ace Amen Thompson. There's reason to believe they'll be able to overcome their inexperience, but the harsh reality of the playoffs is that it's impossible to know what to expect of a debuting player until they actually take the court.

Golden State, meanwhile, is led by four-time champions in Curry and Draymond Green, and two-time NBA Finals participant Jimmy Butler.

In addition to being more experienced, Butler and Curry are also the two most proven scoring threats in this series. They further established as much during the Play-In Tournament, with Buttler dropping 38 points and Curry tallying 36 to take down the Memphis Grizzlies.

Houston will now be tasked with coming up with answers to that dynamic duo—and all of their postseason might.

Curry is a former Finals MVP, while Butler has earned the nickname, "Playoff Jimmy," for his uncanny ability to raise his level come the postseason. The Rockets will now be tasked with not only attempting to slow them down, but potentially going shot-for-shot with them during an inevitable heat check.

In no way are the Rockets destined to lose this series, but this is the ultimate test for a still up-and-coming team in their first postseason series as a unit.