By: Yama Hazheer
It wasn’t even close; the Warriors dismantled the Houston Rockets last season in almost ten matchups.
Golden State was the winner in eight out of nine games, and most of them weren’t competitive. Sure, the Rockets had injuries here and there, but that didn’t stop the Dubs from showcasing who the better team truly was.
The Rockets were a fun story, the emergence of James Harden as the top two-guard in the league, adding Josh Smith to the roster, and the always interesting Dwight Howard, but to think that they were even on the same tier as Golden State was foolish.
Houston added Ty Lawson to the team in the offseason and the troubled guard didn’t take too long before he took shots at the league’s reigning MVP, Steph Curry.
Lawson told Yahoo Sports that Curry was able to get away without playing any defense in the Finals last season, resulting in him to excel offensively. Like many other envious teams in the league have done, Lawson added to the disrespect the Warriors have received.
It’s also been no secret that James Harden is still bitter over not winning the MVP award and being the runner-up instead. He talks about the award more than wanting to win a title. I would find that a little concerning if I were a Rockets fan.
Kevin McHale doesn’t have the personality that Doc Rivers has to take constant shots at the Warriors, but this doesn’t stop the team from being one of the bigger Warrior rivals in the league.
Friday will be an intriguing match-up between the teams and individual players.
Lawson isn’t the defender that Patrick Beverley is, but he is easily the better player. Harden has a chip on his shoulder. Trevor Ariza also seems to have an issue with the Warriors.
Dwight Howard will be back from his suspension and Andrew Bogut might not play due to a concussion. Festus Ezeli vs. one of the top centers in the league early in the season could give him a huge confidence boost in a contract year.
However, the main storyline remains the battle of the backcourts. Klay Thompson hasn’t been quiet this offseason and although most of his shots were directed toward the Clippers, there’s no doubt that he sees a challenge in defending Harden and showing that he belongs on the same tier.
Houston will be hungry. They lost by 20 at home to the Denver Nuggets causing them to start the season on an awful note. Lawson and Harden combined for 34 points in the season opener meanwhile Curry scored 40 and led the Warriors to a win.
The Houston crowd will be rowdy and ready to make it a hostile environment for their most hated team in the league.
The Warriors acknowledged that there will be a target on their backs this season and they know that this Friday is going to be the start of that. The Clippers, Cavs, Spurs, Thunder, and the Rockets are all teams that will give the Warriors all they can handle in games.
The Rockets felt they were the better team last year. Harden thinks he was the MVP last year. And Lawson is already vocally going at the best point guard in the league.
Golden State knows this.
As much as the Rockets will try to come out firing Friday at home, the Warriors are still the better team until proven otherwise.
Curry torched Houston last season, as there was no answer for him on the other end of the floor. He’s even hungrier now after all this offseason trash talk.
This rivalry could grow into a larger one than the Warriors have with the Clippers. Friday would be the first step.
An October game usually doesn’t have the playoff feel and atmosphere, but it certainly will have that thrill at the Toyota Center in a battle of two motivated teams featuring two of the best guards in the league and some strong emotions.