The Houston Rockets, seeded second in the Western Conference, face an intriguing first-round playoff matchup against the seventh-seeded Golden State Warriors. Despite their higher seed, the Rockets are considered underdogs, largely due to the Warriors' midseason acquisition of Jimmy Butler, which bolstered their performance significantly. The Warriors have demonstrated their prowess with a 23-7 record in games featuring Butler, indicating their potential to upset the Rockets.

While the Warriors possess veteran stars like Steph Curry and Draymond Green, the Rockets' roster is marked by youth and inexperience. Emerging stars like Jalen Green, who had a solid season average of 21.0 points, face the challenge of postseason performance. Kenny Smith of TNT predicts that this series will be pivotal for Green's development, likening it to how Ime Udoka cultivated Jaylen Brown's consistency in Boston. The analysts on Inside the NBA are divided, with two of them favoring the Rockets to advance, despite acknowledging the Warriors' recent success.