Sports on Draft

The 2018 Western Conference Finals we all have been waiting for is finally here, the long awaited Houston Rockets-Golden State Warriors showdown, has been destined to be the NBA’s title fight since day one.

The basketball world is elated to finally see the massive Western Conference Finals, arguably the premier two teams in the NBA are finally going toe-to-toe. The Rockets, are set to prove that they have the league’s best record for a reason, and that they can contend with the defending champs.

Houston’s trip to the Western Conference Finals, answers the questions regarding if the regular season success will translate into the playoffs, which has so far. Now, the only thing left for them to completely silence the critics, is to give the Warriors a run for their money.

Chris Paul and James Harden, are playing some of the best basketball of their lives, and are doing it with great chemistry.

The Rockets’ two best players, under Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, have a figured out a game plan all year that has been working in harmony. Paul’s aggressiveness helps share the responsibility on offense with Harden, creating more opportunities for the team.

These superstars will need to be creative in their attack against the Warriors, and making sure that Clint Capela is going to be apart of it. The Rockets went on a whopping 50-5 record during the regular season with a Capela/Paul/Harden starting lineup, according to Stephen A. Smith, ESPN.

Capela is a key element to his to team for his potential on offense, but mainly his real strength at the defensive end. He is arguably one of the best defensive players in the league, averaging nearly two blocks a game.

When Houston makes plays on the defensive end, they create chances in transition, which often lead to their signature 3-point shots. If they play a well-balanced game, they should have a shot against Golden State.

At the end of the day, these Western Conference Finals are going to require each team’s best to be their best, all superstars going full-throttle.

Charles Barkley, Hall of Famer, told the ‘NBA on TNT’ crew that Game 1 is a must win for the Rockets. I know that Barkley can be very outspoken at times, but I couldn’t agree with him more on this statement.

The Rockets will need any sort of edge they can get in this series, especially since they have home court advantage. Trailing just one game will bring a great amount of pressure, giving them no room for error, because Games 3 and 4 at Oracle Arena will be the toughest road trip all year.

I will be rooting for the Rockets this next week like no other, as if I was a Houston native or a die-hard fan, because it simply will be better for the NBA to see Golden State Warriors finally knocked off by someone other than LeBron James.

It would be a great story for Paul, Harden, and even D’Antoni – elevating their NBA legacies, and show the league that their not just underdogs. While people say that fans love dominancy, dynasties in sports, they also root for parody and upsets.

Photo by Puettmann [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons