The Golden State Warriors enter Houston without homecourt advantage
The Golden State Warriors will now face off against the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. For the first time since 2014, the team is without homecourt advantage. How will they fare on the road?
The Golden State Warriors haven’t had the same level of determination this year, due to a variety of well reported reasons. Seemingly bored with the monotony of the regular season after objectively dominating the entire NBA for the three seasons prior, the Warriors limped to the finish line with a banged-up roster and a strew of talking heads doubting their ability to win another championship.
Though some skepticism still clings in the air, the Warriors have by-and-large reminded the NBA world that they are still willing and very much able to make another Finals dance.
In a series hardly worth mentioning, the Dubs made quick work of the Spurs in five games.
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Facing MVP candidate, Anthony Davis, in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Pelicans were staged to bring more excitement– and hopefully a challenge– to Warriors basketball. This held true in glimmers, but the Warriors booked the Pelicans a ticket to the offseason and won in 5 games.
Enter the Houston Rockets. This is where things get interesting.
For the first time since the opening round series against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014, the Warriors will be starting a playoff series in another city. For most teams, kicking off a playoff series on the road serves a serious disadvantage. The Warriors, though, have a knack for capturing out of town W’s.
Including the series vs. the Spurs and Pelicans in this year’s playoffs, the Warriors have won 20 out of the 32 playoff games they’ve played on the road since 2015. Any team that can win half of it’s games on the road in the playoffs is special – lucky even. The Warriors have been stealing W’s more than 60 percent of the time.
That’s not normal.
Granted, this Western Conference Finals matchup against the Rockets is different. It’s the first time the Warriors will be attacking their opponent out of the gate, rather than defending their homecourt.
The Rockets are the Warriors most formidable rival they have faced in the last four seasons. Designed specifically to beat them– after losing to them too many times– the Rockets match up all too well against Golden State.
Even with James Harden’s lull-you-to-sleep-then-bust-a-3-in-your-eye iso ball and Chris Paul’s seasoned pick and roll offense, the Rockets won’t run the Warriors off the floor. But their smaller, multi-dimensional rotations may give the Warriors a run for the money. The Dubs learned this during the regular season after losing 2 out of 3 games to them, with their lone win coming on the road.
Next: Three takeaways from the victory over the Pelicans
One to never show too many of his cards, Steve Kerr’s lineups have never been the most predictable. But if the Warriors are in attack mode like they should be, expect to see a luxurious quintet gracing the hardwood on Monday night in Houston – one that gets its name from Long Island’s East End.
With a now healthy and engaged roster, the Warriors enter Houston, Texas with a full deck.
Don’t expect them to be the first to fold.