I don’t think it matters. Rockets should continue to switch everything and with the way GS plays there should be a lot of switches. The key is for everyone to be on a string and to their best to stay in good guarding position on penetration.
I would go with... Steph: CP3 is as good a PG defender as there is. Would want to have more length (Ariza) on Curry but starting Paul on him is solid. Klay: Ariza to chase Klay around off the ball. James gets lost when he's off ball and Klay can shoot over CP3 a little too easily for them to be primary defenders. Durant: Tucker as primary defender to try to bruise him up a bit. KD has a big speed advantage vs. Tucker but it's either a size or speed advantage...KD is an alien. I'm sure we'll have Ariza, Mbah a Moute and Tucker on him rotating to give him different looks. Maybe even Harden and Capela to really switch it up. Iggy: Hide Harden on Iggy so he can play the passing lanes and rest a bit on D since CP3 is going to spend a lot of energy chasing Steph/Klay around. Hope he doesn't shoot lights out. Draymond: Clint can sag off a bit on Draymond and continue to protect the paint/get boards to ignite easy looks in transition. To be honest both teams are so talented/versatile that there are pros/cons to all the match-ups, which is why both teams switch so much. Defensive match-ups are important but it really comes down to who has everything clicking.
MDA said earlier in the season. We’re the Rockets. We don’t match up with other teams. We make them match up with us. Roll out the same starting 5 and force them to prove they can pick up Capela on the dives to the rim.
Those ****ers are so entitled now that they named themselves after an ultra rich, elitist location. Death to the Worriers!!!
We're very quickly going to become: Paul vs Klay Gordon vs Curry Harden vs Iggy Ariza vs Durant Tucker vs Green I'll take it. Ariza is the only one who can bother Durant's jumper, and Paul/Gordon are the only ones who can guard Curry. Curry can't guard anyone. Iggy is great off the ball, Harden has to mentally be there defensively. Iggy and Green can be held to less than 15 points total, which is critical for us.
Rockets have too many short players. Tucker, Gordon and CP3 are going to be eating alive by Kevin Durant. On the other hands, the Death Lineup is going to make Capela disappeared because Harden and CP3 won't be able to exploit anything since Golden State is switching on everything. You ain't going to have some slow center out there like Gobert that make the Rockets' offense look superior. None of that BS with Karl Anthony Town. What you're going to see is an overwhelming suffocating defense put on by the Death Lineups. That is the TRUTH!
I think Clint will be our Zaza this series. It's not a great matchup for him. Hope I'm wrong. But most of the time, I think Anderson and Tucker should be at the 5 if Capela's not working out.
Totally agree with @SamFisher in post #12 I don’t expect the Warriors will start that lineup. They knew they could outrun the Spurs/Pels (attempt to get AD exhausted and run out of steam at end of games) and they also know the Rockets can match with small ball...where Spurs and Pels, not so much. Probably a good chance the Warriors run that lineup in the 4th quarter: I like: Curry...........................CP3 Thompson..................Ariza Iguodala.....................Harden (can free-lance & leave Iggy at 3-pt line until Iggy makes about 4 threes in a game. Durant........................Tucker or Luc MaM Dray Green................Tucker or Capela (can free-lance & leave Dray at 3-pt line until he makes about 4 threes/gm.
Hampton 5, Hampton Inn, Hampton University , Dirty Hamper. . . . . it don't matter me none - James Harden Just like it don't matter . . just like the other James Rocket River
There's no need to worry about matchups here. Like everyone said, we will switch on everything. The question is will we communicate well on the off the ball picks that GS loves to run to get their 3s. One mishap, and either Curry gets a wide open 3, or Klay gets an open cut to the rim.
