What to look out for as Curry begins chase for 5th ring against Rockets

Steph Curry for the Warriors against the Lakers

Very rarely do in-season trades work as well as the Warriors’ acquisition of Jimmy Butler, which turned a struggling team into a possible title contender. Stephen Curry is still an offensive marvel in Year 16, Draymond Green is a Kia Defensive Player of the Year candidate once again, and Butler has fit in remarkably well.

The Houston Rockets, who’ve gone from 22-60 two seasons ago to 52-30 this year, had an even stronger close to the season than the revamped Warriors. The Rockets ranked in the top four on both ends of the floor as they went 15-2 to clinch the No. 2 seed in a brutally tough Western Conference, concluding that stretch with an impressive win at Golden State on April 6.

Main talking point: Amen Thompson vs Steph Curry

That Houston win on April 6 came with Curry scoring just three points on 1-for-10 shooting. His primary defender was Thompson, who spent more time on Curry that night (4:13) than he did in Curry’s other two games against the Rockets combined (3:52).

With his combination of length, athleticism, and motor, Thompson may be as qualified as anybody in the league to chase Curry around for the next two weeks. Over the five-game season series, Houston was 24.6 points per 100 possessions better with the All-Defense candidate on the floor (plus-10.1) than it was with him off (minus-14.5). And if Thompson can stay attached to a player 15 years his senior, things get a little easier for the rest of the Rockets’ fifth-ranked defense.

Of course, the Warriors have counters for everything. If he can’t lose Thompson, Curry can be a more frequent screener and free up his teammates for layups and open shots.