Houston Rockets: Patrick Beverley
If the Rockets have a chance at beating the Golden State Warriors, they need to at least slow down the Splash Brothers. Patrick Beverley offers their best chance of doing so.
A tough, physical defender, Beverley has gone at Stephen Curry in the past. He’s also second among point guards in defensive RPM. Any team with a prayer of contending with Golden State has to do so with physicality on the defensive end.
This goes double for the Rockets, who will have to make up for James Harden’s defensive liabilities.
The teams that bumped Curry off the ball and got in his space on the ball were the teams that had success against him last season, and Beverley can do that. For Houston to make hay in the playoffs, Beverley has to be at his best.