2015 NBA Picks: Western Conference Finals – Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors Odds and Predictions

2015 NBA Picks: Western Conference Finals – Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors Odds and Predictions: For the second year in a row, the top two seeds in the Western Conference have reached the conferences finals. Unlike last year when perennial powers Oklahoma City and San Antonio squared, a pair of up-and-coming franchises will take center stage. Led by league MVP Stephen Curry, the top-seeded Golden State Warriors will take on the second-seeded Houston Rockets, who happen to be led by the man that finished second in the MVP race, James Harden. Needless to say, there will be no shortage of star power in this series.

A few days ago, it didn’t even seem like the Rockets would be playing in the series. Trailing the Los Angeles Clippers by more than 20 points in the second half in Game 6, Houston staged an epic comeback to avoid elimination and then took care of business in Game 7. Harden has led the way for the Rockets, but a rejuvenated Dwight Howard and a trio of solid forwards have provided more than enough support.

For the most part, the Warriors have looked the part of a No. 1 seed. They swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round, and after falling behind the upset-minded Memphis Grizzlies 2-1 in the semifinals, Curry and company reeled off three straight wins to advance. As they have all season, Curry and Klay Thompson are carrying the offense, but the versatile Draymond Green and a deep bench continue to make the Warriors one of the most balanced teams in recent memory.

The Rockets Win If:

If the Rockets are going to win this series, they have to make like tough on at least one of the “Splash Brothers” in order to disrupt the Warriors’ high-powered offense. When the Grizzlies were giving Golden State trouble, it was in large part because Memphis’ Tony Allen was giving Thompson fits. After Allen got hurt, the Warriors couldn’t be stopped. Houston will also need to continue to be more than a one-man show. Yes, Harden is the straw that stirs the drink, but the Rockets go from a good team to a potential title-winning team when Howard is also dominating the glass and protecting the rim and their role players are hitting open shots.

The Warriors Win If:

For the Warriors to advance to the NBA Finals, they have to continue to take advantage of their balance and depth. If Golden State turns Harden into a high-volume scorer rather than an efficient one while turning athletic forwards like Josh Smith and Terrence Jones into jump-shooters, Houston’s potent offense will become a lot less dynamic. On the offensive end, Curry and company need to force the issue on the perimeter and expose Harden as the defensive liability that he can often be. Yes, the Warriors can often win high-scoring shootouts, but if they force the Rockets to play at a high level on both ends of the court in order to win, Golden State’s balance will win out.

Bottom Line:

While it is impossible to ignore the battle between Curry and Harden in this series, it is going to be the better team that ultimately advances. With that in mind, it is hard to ignore the fact that the Warriors have been the best all-around team in the NBA all season. Not only did they finish with the best record, but they led the league in scoring and field goal percentage while also holding opponents to the worst field goal percentage. Houston just doesn’t have the defensive stoppers to match that type of balance, especially with Patrick Beverley sidelined. Keep in mind that the Warriors won all four meetings with Houston in the regular season and won all four games by double figures. Granted, the Rockets are as healthy as they have been on quite some time, but they are still missing a couple key contributors and still can’t matchup with Golden State’s depth. Get more NBA picks and predictions against the spread from NSAwins.com’s top handicappers.

Prediction: Golden State Warriors Win in 6 Games

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