Warriors give Rockets a valuable lesson in their first game against the Timberwolves

The Houston Rockets are still reeling. Losing to the Warriors in the first round was heartbreaking.

From a rational perspective, it's not a big deal. The veteran-heavy Warriors have much of their dynastic roster left. Steph Curry and Draymond Green know how to win big games. Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson do not. Fred VanVleet's championship pedigree wasn't enough to overcome the Warriors' experience advantage.

From an emotional perspective? Devastation. Pain. We lost to the Warriors - again.

Now, it's time to move on. The Rockets will spend the summer evaluating their options. One popular option with fans is to move on from Jalen Green. It's undeniable that the Warriors shut him down in this series.

That may not be as concerning as we thought.

Warriors shut down Jalen Green's superior

The most optimistic Rockets fans see some Anthony Edwards in Green. Many would say that they're delusional. To an extent, they are.

That said, Edwards struggled mightily in the Timberwolves' first game against the Warriors in the second round. It was a familiar sight for Rockets fans. The Warriors trapped Edwards, guarded him in the backcourt, and did what they could to take him out of the game. They dared the Wolves to beat them with someone else.

It worked.

Granted, Edwards finished with 23 points on 9/22 shooting from the field. He also contributed 14 rebounds, which would be a tall order for Green.

Breaking news: Anthony Edwards is better than Jalen Green. That's no surprise. The point is that if the Warriors were able to significantly limit Edwards, it makes sense that they'd decimate Green. It's possible that Green would have had a better series against a team with a weaker game plan for a score-first guard.

Should the Rockets re-invest in the young guard?

Rockets should watch the playoffs closely

Let's not get carried away.

Instead, let's be realistic. If fans are tired of Green, it's not a result of one playoff series. It's a result of four seasons of inconsistent play. They're fatigued by a guard with a 34.2% career three-point percentage who's too skinny to consistently score at the rim.

Green is deeply flawed. The Rockets should explore trading him this summer. That said, he does have remaining upside. A larger playoff sample size would have helped the organization make a more informed decision. In place of that possibility, they should use Edwards as a makeshift proxy.

If he continues to struggle against the Warriors, Green should get some benefit of the doubt. If he's able to break the Warriors' strategy for more than a game, it should tell the Rockets how far behind Green is.

Trading him should be an option either way - again, this isn't based solely on that series. Still, there's a difference between being desperate to move him and being open to the possibility. If Edwards can't solve the Warriors, the Rockets could chalk Green's brutal performance against them up to matchup difficulties.

What they can't do is let their heartache inform their decision.