Steve Kerr explained how the Warriors offense differs from the Rockets' juggernaut that could be his team's biggest threat

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January 4, 2018 11:06 PM

Though the Warriors and Rockets have some similarities, their elite offenses actually play fairly differently.

The Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors are the NBA's two best offenses, and on the surface, appear to have similar styles.
Steve Kerr explained that the two teams actually have fairly different personnel and rely on different methods of playmaking to get shots.
Kerr also noted that he believes, as a former role player, that it benefits teams to have multiple players touching the ball on a possession.

On the surface, it'd be easy to think that the NBA's two most prolific offenses, the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, are similar.

They both push the pace, bomb three-pointers, and are driven by high-octane guards. Both teams score 112.9 points per 100 possessions, tied for best in the NBA, and blitz opponents who can't find ways to slow them down.

However, the similarities just about end there. The Rockets are a true Mike D'Antoni team — they play small, fast, spread the floor, rain three-pointers, and rely on the pick-and-roll.

The Warriors, however, don't play all that similarly to the Rockets. As Steve Kerr explained to Business Insider, the Warriors are actually a much more eclectic mix of offensive systems and have some key structural differences than the Rockets.

As Kerr said, there's no right or wrong in the offenses. D'Antoni prefers almost a more straight-forward approach, giving his best players the ball, and setting up plays for them to make something happen. Kerr, meanwhile, likes the ball to bounce around while the unique weapons at his disposal create chaos on the floor.

Both approaches work. It's the Rockets' leap this season that has people wondering if there's finally a true challenger to the Warriors in the West. Those answers won't come immediately, despite the two teams' Thursday meeting, as Harden is out with an injury.

But should they meet in the postseason, expect high-scoring affairs and an interesting chess match as the two try to go basket-for-basket.

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