Playoff Preview: Western Conference (Part 1)

[1] Golden State Warriors vs [8] Houston Rockets  The Warriors square off against the Rockets in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals. After setting the league record for wins in a season (73) the Warriors look to build on an incredible campaign and pick up where they left off last post-season. On the other hand, the Rockets stumble into the playoffs with a 41-41 record after winning 56 games a year ago. The Rockets were a much better team last year under head coach Kevin McHale, but they were still only able to win one game in the Conference Finals.

This series could get really ugly for Houston. They lack the firepower and team chemistry to compete with the Warriors over a 7 game series. Harden will do what he can to try to keep them in games, but you can expect this series to end early. The three point shooting and offensive attack of Stephen Curry and the Warriors will be too much for a mediocre Rockets team that will be tempted to get into a three point shootout that they will surely lose.

Prediction: Warriors win series 4-0

[3] Oklahoma City Thunder vs [6] Dallas Mavericks  After a one year absence, the Thunder are back in the playoffs. The Thunder are the healthiest they’ve been in years and have one of the best and deepest rosters in the league, led by two of the top five talents in the game in Westbrook and Durant. The Mavericks have already exceeded most expectations this year by making the playoffs as the 6 seed. The Mavs have been plagued with injuries all season and will have to deal with the absence of Chandler Parsons for the second consecutive season.

The Mavs have been able to stay afloat with the recent contributions of J.J. Barea and Wesley Matthews. On paper, Dallas doesn’t have nearly enough talent to compete with one of the most efficient offenses in the league. However, 4^th quarter struggles are still a major concern with the Thunder and the veteran leadership of Dirk and Wes Matthews should keep things interesting.

Prediction: Thunder win series 4-2

Grayson Gold-Garvey