I do wonder what will happen if the Rockets are able to launch 40-50 threes a game against the Warriors. That's a variable that we've not seen in NBA history.
That being said, Paul, Harden, and D'Antoni are chronic playoff chokers.
Also, the Warriors have an extra level to go up defensively, especially for covering the three.
I completely agree. I think of this series in terms of a tie game with 5 minutes remaining. The Warriors simply have more flexibility on both sides of the ball. Can Houston win if you take away their pace? Harden is probably the best iso player in basketball but his playoff failures speak for themselves. As for Chris Paul, I think he will be over matched in the closing minutes. This has more to do with father time than anything else. G-State has the ability to clamp down on defense when needed, yet still score efficiently in the half court.
During Houston's current 13 game winning streak they have the slowest pace in the NBA. In their prior 13 game winning streak they had the 5th fastest pace in the league. So yeah, Houston can win at any pace.
I know that they are having success with Harden and Paul in the half court but I'm still not convinced that it will translate against the Warriors. I see a 6 game series at best. The Rockets are a crazy talented group with the best isolation scorer/playmaker in the game. I can't knock any of this. It all boils down to my lack of faith in Harden come playoff time. Steamrolling through the regular season just isn't enough to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Your pace statistics definitely indicate that things could be different this season. My problem is that James Harden lead teams rarely play close games. During the 13 game winning streak there have been virtually zero games that have come down to the final minutes. Kudos to Houston for destroying everyone but it still doesn't provide evidence of what to expect in crunch time against the Warriors. The Rockets seem to blow everyone out in their wins.
Here's a crazy stat - The Rockets average margin of defeat during their 25 playoff losses with Harden is 14.88. This indicates a lack of mental toughness. For the sake of the average NBA fan hopefully Chris Paul can change this culture come playoff time.