If the Rockets and Warriors played each other in a series who would you root for?

[jermaine]

If the Spurs aren't in it, NBA season is over for me!

[LaMarcus Bryant]

Anyone who says GSW should be pinked then banned.

[MVPCues]

Anyone who says GSW should be pinked then banned.

That's right. Not really very close for me, even before Pachulia.

[Phenomanul]

Case against the Golden State Warriors:

Can't stand the iness of the entire GSW organization. They stacked their roster with All-NBA talent and pretend like they have to "work hard" for their accolades. Plus somehow every player on the roster acts like an en led crybaby believing that they are fouled on every play.

Curry and Klay get the benefit of getting more open looks from illegal screens which are rarely called. Curry gets away with carrying the ball every game. This year especially the GSW are collectively playing like the league is somehow against them and so they are embracing a villainous mantra - that off-putting dynamic in and of itself is annoying.

Kerr is an arrogant jerk. He pretends to be smarter than he is - downplaying the fact that he has the most talented roster ever assembled.

Draymond Green is a instigative, bush-league thug. He plays like a ruffian and knows he can get away with it because the officials let him.

Zaza is a dirty goon.

Durant is an insecure, coward who no longer wanted to work for a championship the hard way but took the easiest path possible. Pathetic no matter how you slice it!

It's difficult to dislike former Spur David West, especially when he gave up so much to play in San Antonio. That said, he came off as a traitor when he downplayed his own ZaZa confrontation (during the period when ZaZa played for the Mavs and West for the Spurs), in order that ZaZa could save face and not be labeled as a dirty player. At that point, he fell from my grace - essentially calling Pop a liar.

Their owner (Joseph Lacob) is an arrogant, out-of-touch, delusional "everything GSW touches is gold / we deserve to win" punk.

Their only "semi-likable" players are probably Igoudala and Livingston.


Case against the Houston Rockets:

The Rockets (while still a difficult team to "like" from a Spurs fan's perspective) have a comically gimmicky coach in D'Antoni and so lately despite how well they play they will always seem less threatening because of "let's go, let's go D'Antoni".

Their incessant whining for calls gets annoying quick... especially when Harden gets treated with kid gloves...

Harden's beard is absurdly nasty at this point - can't stand seeing it on the tele. His flopping is an affront to the game.

Houston's announcers are especially annoying (Drexler is likely the most biased homer in the league... to the point of insulting the other team's players).

Chris Paul is still a super-compe ive, get-in-your-face, get-under-your-skin, type of player... while annoying to play against, it's somewhat difficult to hate him for it.

Ryan Anderson is a dirty player - especially that nut-crunching shot at Manu. He's been playing the "woe is me" card for far too long now... on account of his ex-fiancée's suicide. It irks me the wrong way.

Hard to dislike work-horse men like Ariza or Capella. Hard to dislike Eric Gordon as well.




In summary Houston's current roster has less pieces that are difficult to hate when compared against GSW... but it is still a really tough choice...

Therefore, if I had to choose between the two, I would prefer Houston humiliate the GSW. Houston has less players that are dislikable.

EDIT: had time to gather my thoughts with a bit more structure.

Forgot to add that I am actually a fan of Luc M'Bah a Moute... he would make a good Spur.

[spurraider21]

i would ask OP to start all their game threads

[coachmac87]

Interesting question...because this has LeBron James tied to it imo.

I stated on here that Rockets were the darkhorse to sign LeBron in the offseason waaay before the Media ran with it last week. If Rockets beat GSW and Cavs to win a le I don't think he will pull a Durant and sign with Houston. GSW will more than likely pay a HUGE tax or make changes.

Depending on the ass whooping Cavs get in the Finals...I doubt he will resign with them with all the question marks surrounding the franchise.

Which IMO will open the door for Spurs, Lakers to genuinely have a case to recruit the King. But if GSW goes on to win it all ages and in dominant fashion. LeBron will go to Houston IMO and will be appealing to help Paul and Harden to capture their first le and go after the Warriors.


So the answer is Houston.

[Phenomanul]

Interesting question...because this has LeBron James tied to it imo.

I stated on here that Rockets were the darkhorse to sign LeBron in the offseason waaay before the Media ran with it last week. If Rockets beat GSW and Cavs to win a le I don't think he will pull a Durant and sign with Houston. GSW will more than likely pay a HUGE tax or make changes.

Depending on the ass whooping Cavs get in the Finals...I doubt he will resign with them with all the question marks surrounding the franchise.

Which IMO will open the door for Spurs, Lakers to genuinely have a case to recruit the King. But if GSW goes on to win it all ages and in dominant fashion. LeBron will go to Houston IMO and will be appealing to help Paul and Harden to capture their first le and go after the Warriors.


So the answer is Houston.

A twist would be that the Spurs beat both the Rockets and the GSW... then go on to The NBA Finals and beat the Cavs or the Celtics.

A win now is sweeter than the allure of gaining LeBron next year... cause nothing is ever guaranteed.

[coachmac87]

Interesting question...because this has LeBron James tied to it imo.

I stated on here that Rockets were the darkhorse to sign LeBron in the offseason waaay before the Media ran with it last week. If Rockets beat GSW and Cavs to win a le I don't think he will pull a Durant and sign with Houston. GSW will more than likely pay a HUGE tax or make changes.

Depending on the ass whooping Cavs get in the Finals...I doubt he will resign with them with all the question marks surrounding the franchise.

Which IMO will open the door for Spurs, Lakers to genuinely have a case to recruit the King. But if GSW goes on to win it all ages and in dominant fashion. LeBron will go to Houston IMO and will be appealing to help Paul and Harden to capture their first le and go after the Warriors.


So the answer is Houston.

A twist would be that the Spurs beat both the Rockets and the GSW... then go on to The NBA Finals and beat the Cavs or the Celtics.

A win now is sweeter than the allure of gaining LeBron next year... cause nothing is ever guaranteed.

Well of course. But the way things are if Rockets/Warriors played in a series it's because one of them beat the Spurs. But yeah I'd take ring over maybe going after LeBron...but my post was strictly directed at the question.

[Phenomanul]

Well of course. But the way things are if Rockets/Warriors played in a series it's because one of them beat the Spurs. But yeah I'd take ring over maybe going after LeBron...but my post was strictly directed at the question.

I understood it that way... I was just commenting on the LeBron angle complicating matters issue.

[tonight...you]

Injuries.

Thread should have ended right there with everybody solemnly nodding their heads.

[rjv]

cleveland.

[offset formation]

Rockets. All day. And twice on Sundays.

[SAGirl]

cleveland.

It would be good. I don't know if that influences Lebron's decision in any way bc the reports have been that he and the FO aren't in good terms, but at least it wouldn't be easy for him to bolt and paint his "decision" in a favorable portrait.

[rjv]

It would be good. I don't know if that influences Lebron's decision in any way bc the reports have been that he and the FO aren't in good terms, but at least it wouldn't be easy for him to bolt and paint his "decision" in a favorable portrait.

if he were to win i do think it would be weird if he left as then it wouldn't really be about what team gives him the best opportunity to win. but my saying "cleveland" was really more about just how much i hate both the warriors and rockets.

[heyheymymy]

I'd root for OP to start the game thread.

[gambit1990]

rockets, easily.

[spursistan]

On paper this Rockets team is probably the second biggest legitimate threat to the Warriors in a 7-game series after the '16 Thunder..

Questions remain about D'Antoni's adjustments and Harden's poise in playoffs atmosphere along with Paul's health..

[daslicer]

I think OKC surprisingly is the team that matches up the best with the Warriors. They play with an edge against them and have extreme confidence when they step on the floor that they can beat them. If OKC plays the Warriors I think they will upset them. But that's a big if since OKC tends to suck against everybody else besides the Warriors. It will be interesting to see if the Warriors down the stretch tank a few games and fall to the 2 seed to avoid playing OKC in round 2.

[Brunodf]

At this point I have more faith on OKC beating GSW than the Rockets tbh

Also the storyline of Westbrook beating Durant would be very entertaining

[Brunodf]

I think OKC surprisingly is the team that matches up the best with the Warriors. They play with an edge against them and have extreme confidence when they step on the floor that they can beat them. If OKC plays the Warriors I think they will upset them. But that's a big if since OKC tends to suck against everybody else besides the Warriors. It will be interesting to see if the Warriors down the stretch tank a few games and fall to the 2 seed to avoid playing OKC in round 2.

Exactly, hadn't seen your post before mine... OKC ending in 5th or 4th to take GSW on the 2nd round would be the ideal scenario

[daslicer]

At this point I have more faith on OKC beating GSW than the Rockets tbh

Also the storyline of Westbrook beating Durant would be very entertaining

Westbrook-Durant's hatred for each other reminds me of LJ-ZO. I think a series between Warriors-OKC would be like an old school series filled with a lot of intense hatred from both sides . I'm hoping for this series.

[daslicer]

Exactly, hadn't seen your post before mine... OKC ending in 5th or 4th to take GSW on the 2nd round would be the ideal scenario

The Warriors have nobody that can guard Westbrook on the perimeter and they also don't have a rim protector that can stop him from getting layups and dunks inside the paint. Russ has the easiest time getting whatever he wants against the Warriors more so then any other player in the league I have seen this year against them. Factor in now that he has help in PG and Melo which allows Russ to carve up their defense. On the defensive end OKC gives them problems due to their athleticism and their ability to switch quickly. The way OKC plays them is just interesting to me because they are the only team besides a healthy Spurs team that doesn't try to beat the Warriors by playing the Warriors style of basketball. Houston on the other hand plays the exact same style of basketball as the Warriors which favors the Warriors in a series.

[gambit1990]

warriors v pelicans, rockets v okc...

[TDomination]

For me it still hasn't changed, anyone but the warriors

[daslicer]

For me it still hasn't changed, anyone but the warriors

I'd even take team Russia or team ISIS over the Warriors.