Conference Finals Showing the Importance of an Elite Guard

The NBA's remaining teams are led by some of the league's top guards. Tyrese Haliburton completed an improbable comeback to overcome a 40-point game by Jalen Brunson. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander outplayed Anthony Edwards the night before, as the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated on the way to a double-digit victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

These teams and players have displayed the benefits of having an elite perimeter player to initiate the offense. The Houston Rockets have hoped that their young guard, Jalen Green, could become the type of lead scorer who could lead a team to the league's Final Four. The final teams show why it's so necessary for the Rockets to find a perimeter player who can provide a high level of offensive creation.

Haliburton has led the Indiana Pacers to a dominant postseason so far. He and Pascal Siakam are the two best creators on the team, as they both have length and can drive to the basket. Haliburton, in particular, can distribute the ball to open shooters once he touches the paint.

Brunson has similar abilities to get into the paint. While he isn't as prolific a passer as Haliburton, he is an expert finisher from around the rim and mid-range.

Gilgeous-Alexander shares Brunson's skill at finishing from anywhere inside the three-point line, and they're both adept at drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. The newly-named MVP gets to the paint at will and caves in the defense to create open shots for his teammates.

Edwards dominates with his physical frame when getting to the basket, and his three-point shot is a deadly weapon when his shooting is on point.

The Rockets' ideal team construction includes an elite offensive player who can create shots for themselves and others with the help of another high-level passer in Alperen Sengun. There have been talks about Houston acquiring a player who can fit that archetype, but the team will likely have to sacrifice a hefty sum of assets to acheive a trade.

Houston's prospects would become much clearer if the experiment on Green panned out the way it hoped.

The lead guards on the remaining postseason teams can all get to the basket as they please throughout a game. When their shots aren't falling from range, they attack the paint to create efficient shots for themselves or those around them. Whether from the paint, the mid-range, or the free-throw line, each of these lead guards applies rim pressure that creates positive plays for their respective offenses.

If they don't find a satisfactory trade that is worth the assets they'd have to relinquish, the Rockets may continue the Green experiment into next season. His body of work shows more progress than his disappointing performance in the postseason, but his final 10 games of the season did not reflect a player who could be the best player on one of the top four teams in the NBA.

A tighter handle and more consistent shot would help Green elevate to a different tier of player. While he still might not become the level of the best players remaining, the Rockets can't move forward without a player who can create opportunities for others and convert efficient opportunities for themselves from the perimeter.