The Houston Rockets are set to face the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of what should be a thrilling first-round series in the NBA playoffs. At 52-30, Houston is riding hot into the postseason after securing the second seed in the Western Conference. However, Golden State is just as hot, if not more, after acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline.
While the Rockets are a higher seed, many analysts still pick the Warriors to win to series. How does Houston silence the doubters with such a young core going against one of the more experienced teams in the playoffs?
Butler has unlocked an entirely different Warriors rotation, giving Stephen Curry more help on both sides of the floor. Most of their lineups have been small ball, putting Draymond Green at the center while Bradin Podziemski and Moses Moody back Curry and Butler on the wings.
The Rockets have prided themselves on having one of the top defenses all year long, and it needs to come alive now more than ever. Curry and Podziemski are lethal from deep, so when they get hot, the offense opens up.
Houston needs to run Golden State off the line and force them to take it inside on players like Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Steven Adams. Wing defenders such as Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Jalen Green are expected to play even heavier minutes than they did in the regular season in order to stop the Warriors' guards.
If it means forcing the ball into Butler's hands, so be it. The Rockets need to keep the ball out of Curry and Podziemski's hands, because they might not be able to combat Golden State's high-scoring offense.
Golden State slowed down its offense after acquiring Butler at the trade deadline. The Warriors went from a pace of 99.51 (17th) before Feb. 6 to 99.15 (19th) through the rest of the regular season. Butler allows them to run their offense properly to free up Curry, while being able to attack on his own.
Houston's pace isn't exactly fast either, despite being a young team. In fact, the Rockets were a slower team than the Warriors through the first half of the season, then started to pick things up a bit.
Now is the perfect opportunity for Houston to show off its fresh legs. The team lacks true three-point shooting, so the key should be to emphasize the fast break and attack the basket in transition. The Rockets can do so as Sengun is not only a great rebounder but a player with a high IQ and a knack for passing as well.
At the end of the day, this is a highly experienced team going up against a young, up-and-coming core with not much to lose. The Rockets already have plenty of doubters, and this is only the first what should be many postseason runs in the near future.
Game 1 should give Houston a good feel for the series and get many players' feet wet. Remember, not many of these guys have even sniffed the postseason since entering the league. At the end of the day, the two goals are to win and get good experience in a high-stakes environment.
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For the past two seasons, Joel Embiid has been dealing with a knee issue. The former MVP underwent surgery in April to try to repair his meniscus, the second time he's received such surgery in the past 12 months. Embiid recently sat down for a tell-all interview with ESPN's Dotun Akintoye, where he detailed the struggles his body is currently going through. "We're not going to push anything," Embiid said. "For my whole career, I felt like we never took that approach ... We don't have a timeline. Hopefully, sooner rather than later ... It's all about the results ... If I come back early enough and I'm still not myself, guess what? You're not winning any games." Embiid's struggles have left the Sixers in a precarious situation. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey has built the entire roster around the star center's unique skill set. Philadelphia has constructed a team to go as far as Embiid can take it. It makes sense, then, that Embiid is just as frustrated with his injury-induced absences as the rest of the Sixers fanbase. In a July 27 appearance on Sirius XM Radio, Sixers beat writer Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer shared a unique take on the big man's recent interview and the messaging he's been putting out recently. "I think Joel may know that the end is near, and this is just me saying, and it's kind of like explaining to people what he's been going through," Pompey said. "Because rarely do you have a guy tell you how much pain (they're in) and how much they're going through. The thing I took from it was no matter who is there, the culture is the same. And I feel like Joel Embiid knows that it may not be this season, but the end is near. Maybe he feels as though he can't play to the level he used to. I could be wrong. He could come out and have another MVP season. But that was my takeaway." Embiid is probably one more lost season away from making such a difficult decision. He's only suited up for 58 games over the past two seasons, 39 in 2023-24 and 19 in 2024-25. Embiid doesn't project as the sort of player who would accept a decline while still cashing enormous checks that limit his team's ability to compete. The problem for Embiid is that injuries are only half the battle. Even when healthy, conditioning has been his Achilles heel. So, not only would he need to stay injury-free, both with his knee and his back, but he would also need to get into the best shape of his life. Anything less, and the Sixers could be doomed to repeat their failures of the past. Embiid is still working his way through a long road of recovery. However, he may also be coming to terms that the NBA chapter of his life is on the final few pages, and that must be a daunting reality to face.
The Indiana Fever’s starters turned in a strong all-around effort in Thursday’s 80-70 win over the Las Vegas Aces. The starting unit scored at least 13 points each, save for Aari McDonald, who registered nine points in 22 minutes of action. Indiana’s starters combined for 76 out of the team’s 80 points on the evening, which only means that the four other players who came off the bench accounted for just four points in the game. All that came from Sydney Colson, who went 2-of-5 in 18 minutes of playing time. Lexie Hull, Makayla Timpson and Damiris Dantas all failed to score in the win. Stephanie White Calls Out Fever's Bench Be that as it may, offense wasn’t even the biggest concern for head coach Stephanie White. In her postgame press conference, the veteran shot-caller called out Indiana’s bench for their lack of intensity on the defensive end, particularly in the first half. “Our bench has to be ready,” she said. “I felt like our bench in the second half was really good defensively. In the first half, I didn't feel that way. You got to be ready to come in and you got to be ready to guard your matchup and execute the game plan. "We have depth for a reason. We've got quality depth and we've got to be able to use it. So if fatigue is a factor in execution, then they just need to ask for a sub and I'll get them out and get them back in." It has been a bit of a busy stretch for the Fever at the midway point of the season. Thursday’s matchup against the Aces was their second game in three nights, and they will be back in action again on Sunday in a rivalry showdown against the Chicago Sky. White, however, isn’t accepting fatigue as an excuse. This is regardless of the fact that Caitlin Clark remains out with a re-aggravated groin injury. White is adamant that this roster has been built for adversity, and she didn’t hesitate to put her bench on notice after Thursday’s showing.
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
The Washington Commanders are participating in their final training camp practices before the pads come on this week, and there was no shortage of headlines today. I was in Ashburn, Virginia on Sunday for the fourth practice of training camp for the Commanders and came away with a lot of observations on and off the field. It was a hot one as fans reported for the first time today and it ended up being well worth the heat. McLaurin ends holdout, but there's more to it Commanders All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin officially reported today for the first time since training camp kicked off, but he is still without a new contract. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter posted on X that this does NOT mean progress has been made on a contract. He was also moved to the Active/PUP list with a reported ankle injury. HC Dan Quinn said before practice that the ankle injury is nothing new. “We knew at the end of last season the ankle was something that he was dealing with as it goes," Quinn told the media. "So, it's not so uncommon that that lingers into the offseason. . .We don't know much today. I'll have some more follow up. The medical side is doing the assessments and seeing where he is at." This is still a big step in the right direction with McLaurin being at Commanders Park and showing the team that he has done everything possible on his side. McLaurin also spent time with fans after practice even though he isn't practicing with the team and signed autographs. I also spotted McLaurin on the field with his agent Buddy Baker talking, so maybe this update today can put pressure on the Commanders to get a deal done. Expect an even better Mike Sainristil in his second season I can't express enough how impressed I am with Mike Sainristil. Every player on defense could be wearing a blank burgundy jersey and I could still point him out in every play because of his energy and how he flies around the ball. Sainristil was the talk of practice on Friday and he picked right back up on Sunday with a lot of pass breakups and an insane interception on a deep Jayden Daniels throw while covering rookie Jaylin Lane. Jayden Daniels and Jaylin Lane got their lick back One of the things I highlighted about McLaurin's absence is that other WRs get the chance to build a report with Jayden Daniels and they did just that today on arguably the best training camp play I've seen in my many many years of going. A few drills after Sainristil picked off the Daniels to Lane attempt, the franchise QB threw a DART to the corner of the end zone to the rookie Lane who lept over Sainristil AND safety Quan Martin for an unbelievable grab. The jury is still out on if he got both feet in, but I dont care, it was an incredible answer back at the defense after Sainristil got his interception and Daniels let him hear it after the grab. There's no lack of competitiveness between the young bucks on the team and it'll continue leading up to the season. The defense looks much improved I know I've been praising Sainristil a lot the last few days, but honestly the entire defense impressed me at practice for many reasons. After dominating practice Friday, the corners collected more pass breakups today and the defensive line rotations generated pressure and would-be sacks. Adding pads will make the practices even more physical and competitve and the defense can really flex it's muscles starting next week. I think a lot of my worries about the defense have been calmed for now. Commanders will honor Washington legend The Commanders also announced at training camp that they will honor an all-time great by inducting former WR Santana Moss into the Ring of Fame Week 1 against the New York Giants. Moss was surprised when he heard the news and even addressed the crowd on hand at training camp to express his gratitude and appreciation. The "Cowboy-Killa" was one of the few bright spots in the darkest times as a Washington fan and I can honestly say he deserves it. The franchise continues to make the right moves off the field for those that paved the way for the current state of the team. Moss also continues to give back as an analyst for the team's broadcast team. I'll have more detailed breakdown observations on the offense and the defense in the next articles, as well as more live practice updates, so be sure to check A to Z Sports for all of the latest on the Washington Commanders.