NSL Insider - R1 Preview: San Antonio V Houstonby breece, updated on Tuesday, May 02 2023, 05:58 am EST San Antonio Spurs v Houston Rockets Bigger Picture San Antonio are in the playoffs without
the shadow of any controversy. Houston managed to fight their way in and secure
the spot, 7th seed in the West. It is a mighty achievement to make it to the playoffs.
With the league so fiercely contested, the stage of the playoffs has never seen
so much intrigue. Will this matchup hold up to the hype!? First of all, one must ask, how did
they get here? San Antonio secured their place in the Western Conference
Playoffs by recording a 69 - 13. Led by their alpha Giannis Antetokounmpo, the
Spurs amassed a dominant record, only eclipsed by GM and Conference rival, the
Portland Trail Blazers. Impressively, their record against sub 500 teams,
showed their ability to pummel teams - with a 48 - 4. GM Nels will have his
team primed to go, with only Otto Porter missing the playoffs. Houston will be happy to be here. They
have done fantastically to make it here. GM Vitticus as always has been
uncompromising, and their presence here is not through luck, but rather grit.
Their flexibility through the season has been admirable, and their team leader
Nikola Jokic has been impeccable as always. 19 points per game, and 18 rebounds
per game, for an entire season is ludicrous; even still, he might not secure
MVP, such as the talent pool and outrageous performances throughout the league.
Houston enter the playoffs with a clean bill of health. They will need every
bit of talent and fight in this one. Projected Matchups Point Guards The guard play in 2022-23 has been
sublime and this will be no different. A stalwart versus a young gun. Harden
has been proven throughout many years, yet his shooting has always been the
issue; putting up needless shots. Yet in this Spurs unit he has been a steady
contributor and played his role. Maxey is an excitement machine - steadily
moving up the ranks of the young up-and-coming players of the league. The big
question is whether Maxey can stifle Harden. He is very important to team
success. Stopping Harden could be the key to victory here. Shooting Guards Dillon Brooks v Tyrese Haliburton To finish off the two Tyrese guard
pairing is Haliburton. On the other end, we have the troublesome tabloid
tornado that is Dillon Brooks. What an intriguing fight this is!? Haliburton is
a versatile guard with size and athleticism, and has been a big reason Houston
is even in the playoffs. While Brooks has been just as important for the Spurs,
amassing stat lines across the board - playing second scoring option for the
most part as well. The other facet of the game that Haliburton will look to
avoid is sending Brooks to the line - he saw the strip 300 plus times in the
regular season. Just as important were their scoring exploits as their
defensive contributions to stop the likes of Giannis and Jokic on the
switch. Small Forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo v Harrison Barnes Is this a no contest? Giannis may well
have a field day if things don�t go right for Barnes. The veteran Harrison
Barnes has been ultra-handy and utilised to play the 3 to the best of his
ability. Houston just need him to (or whoever ends up in this matchup) body and
disrupt. This is where a switch might take place for the likes of Royce ONeale.
Holding up the end is imperative, as the overwhelming presence of Giannis can
break any team. Arguably the most dominant 2k player, Giannis Antetokounmpo
will be himself in this one - dynamic on both ends of the court. Power Forwards Mismatches are hard to read. On paper
you look at the undersized Reed and think this is curtains, though Reed has
been fighting many players that eclipse his size. Vucevic has underperformed by
his high standards, though his need has not been statistical, it is spatial.
Vucevic has been able to spread the floor and disrupt the flow of other teams -
allowing free reign for Giannis and Dillon. Reed has been playing big,
athletically able, and quick - which could be a chink in Nikola�s armour. Centers Javale McGee v Nikola Jokic Glitch McGee versus the MVP. McGee
continues to put up big in the NSL. Jokic continues to be one of the perennial
all-stars of the league. If San Antonio rest their hat on Giannis, so to the
Houston Rockets rest on Nikola Jokic. McGee has fought many tough battles
against all kinds of big-men talents. Last outing against the Spurs, the
Rockets won 127-85 without Giannis, and still Jokic didn�t need to do much at
all. Nor did Javale. Jokic will need to be extra effective, McGee seems to have
a way of causing chaos. Bench Stocks San Antonio Reggie Jackson, James Johnson, Willie
Cauley-Stein, Thomas Bryant Houston Royce ONeale, JaMychal Green, Luke
Kennard, Devonte Green, Montrez Harrell Both benches run with the right balance
in depth. They will both hold up their end. It will be maintaining consistency
in the rotation and making sure the right players hit the court to nullify the
opposition. Can the Houston bench be the x-factor for them? Series Projection While the Houston
Rockets have been galant to make their way here, the Spurs have too much
fire-power and coverage. With the full lineup of weapons, the series will be a
tough one to watch for the Rocket faithful. A clean sweep looks on the cards
with Giannis and Harden running riot, and McGee keeping Jokic quiet. Houston
will be fighters as always, but it just won�t be enough for the coverage that
San Antonio has. Spurs 4 - Rockets 0 |
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