I don’t think I’ve ever been so utterly wrong before. I was confident that the Rockets would not last more than 6 games and even said, “Warriors in 5,” on a previous post from a couple of days ago.
But here we are. The Rockets, led by Fred VanVleet of all people, have forced a Game 7 at the Toyota Center. Despite the Warriors’ extensive experience—which contrasts greatly with the Rockets’ inexperience and youth—I must say: advantage Rockets.
The Warriors look uninspiring, drained, and worn out. Unless Stephen Curry drops 90 points, I don’t see how they can go to Houston and match the physicality of a Rockets team with their braindead fans (excluding me, of course) behind them.
For the past two matches, they have been overwhelmed by the Rockets’ intensity and physicality on both ends of the floor. They have also been outcoached, losing control of the Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun two-man game and struggling to find an answer for Steven Adams.
But before we move on, I want to share a funny exchange I had on social media.
Stupidity Unlike Anything Else
Naturally, after a couple of Jalen Green stinkers, I felt compelled to follow up with our good friends Jeremy and Stephen. Not that I wanted to embarrass them, but rather to set them on the right path and give them an opportunity to learn.
Jeremy was smart enough not to reply and spared himself the humiliation, but I cannot say the same about Stephen. Though I should have known this from the start, it turns out that, between these two Neanderthals, Stephen is by far the more intellectually inferior one.
Stephen had the gall and chutzpah to point out Jalen Green’s 38-point game in retaliation, despite the fact that it came amidst three single-digit scoring nights in four games. In fact, Jalen Green is averaging 14.2 points in the postseason on 37.2% shooting. But if that’s what Stephen chooses to support, there’s nothing I can do but feel sorry for him.
Surprisingly, shamelessly mentioning the 38-point performance was by far the smartest thing he said in this exchange. I am struggling to find words (well, I know a few, but I would rather not have them on my digital footprint) to describe how stupid his second comment is. I’ll let you guys figure out the glaring logical flaw in his statement, because I can’t be bothered to point it out.
Size Prevails
Against all principles of the modern game, the Rockets have found an answer with a lineup consisting of two slow, stumbling centers who have zero ability to space the floor. At times, we even see Jabari Smith playing alongside Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams—and it works surprisingly well.
Sengun and Adams are the most baffling duo in today’s NBA. Quite frankly, they don’t even fit the fast-paced identity of the Rockets. However, they do allow the Rockets to get away with poor shot-making thanks to their offensive rim pressure, especially against a Warriors team that thrives on small ball. With the Warriors trying to slow the game down and force the Rockets into a half-court setting, the two-big lineup surprisingly creates many offensive actions.
Having two centers completely breaks down the Warriors’ defensive schemes. Having Draymond Green anchored to Sengun at all times creates numerous mismatches and inflexibility when it comes to ball screens. Quinten Post was useless against Adams’s strength and got eaten alive every time he matched up with the delicate dancer Alperen Sengun. Kerr knew that playing two centers to try and box out Adams wouldn’t work either, since it would mean you have to field a very below-average basketball player in Kevon Looney or Trayce Jackson-Davis. Doing so would also bring the free-flowing Warriors' offensive system to a halt.
Fred Valet
Out of respect for his recent performances, I will stop calling Fred VanVleet “Dick VanMeat.” I’ll be adapting the more widely accepted nickname, “Fred Valet.”
When one of your worst players plays well, there is a very good chance your team wins. That’s why the Rockets won in Game 2. That’s why the Warriors won Game 4. This is what Stephen failed to understand.
Valet shot below 40% for the first three games of the series. Today, he scored 29 points, going 6/9 from three. The game before that, he went 4/6 from three. The game before that, he went 8/12 from three. This is his third 25+ point performance, and the Rockets have won 2 of those 3 games.
For once, Udoka has stopped relying on transition offense and has implemented an offensive game plan since Game 4. The inverted ball-screen with Sengun handling the ball as the screener created many open three-point attempts for Valet, allowing him to heat up and build momentum. The Warriors let Valet go out of control, and now they have to find a way to park the car themselves.
No Hope for the Warriors?
Not at all. When your opponent relies this heavily on Fred Valet, there will always be a chance that it all comes crashing down. If you believe in statistics, you’d predict that the next game is when he returns to the mean.
But things have changed. It’s not that Valet isn’t getting good looks. Believe it or not, the Rockets’ offense has become a headache for the opposition, and once Valet heats up, he will be hitting all sorts of heat checks—that’s just who he is. Valet also has the incredible ability to stay calm no matter what. Regardless of whether he is shooting 10% or 80%, you can count on him to remain composed under pressure.
However, the Warriors still have an abundance of experience to rely on, while the stakes of a Game 7 will undeniably weigh on the young Rockets. Game 7s usually come down to star performances, and comparing both teams on that front, it’s undeniable that Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler are a stronger star partnership than Fred Valet and Alperen Sengun. Also, the Warriors don’t have Jalen Green.