Analysis: The Rockets lost to Curry and the Warriors again in the playoffs, who is the biggest responsible person for the loss

Houston Rockets performed well last season, ending the season with a record of 52 wins and 30 losses, firmly ranking second in the West. Unfortunately, their journey came to an abrupt end after being sent away by the Golden State Warriors in seven wins in the first round of the playoffs.

Historically, Stephen Curry and the Warriors have been the "curse" of the team's playoffs. The Houston Rockets have failed to dispel these "ghosts" again, even though the Golden State Warriors are completely different and have brought in Jimmy Butler before the trade deadline. The Rockets' playoff journey is over, so let's see who should be responsible for their early elimination by the Warriors in the playoffs.

Jellen Green

Jellen Green has always been one of the rising stars of the Rockets. Before the 2024-25 season began, the Houston Rockets signed him a three-year, $105 million contract extension, which strengthened their confidence in the rising star. At first, he performed well in the regular season, averaging 21 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, but Green did not perform well in his playoff debut.

The Rockets' first round match against the Warriors is an excellent stage for Green to open a new level. But besides the explosion of 38 points in the second game, he contributed a slight score throughout the series. In these seven games, Green averaged 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, shooting only 37.2%. His shooting percentage is currently at the bottom of the season's playoff qualified players.

The Rockets have no doubt lost Green's usual shooting opportunities, especially when they're weak on offense. Given Green's single scoring ability, the Warriors made him not perform well, making it difficult for him to score throughout the series. In fact, Green scored only single digits in four of his seven games. Green is not satisfied with his performance in this series, but fortunately, Rockets general manager Raphael Stone will not give up on the 23-year-old star for the time being.

Alperen Sengon

Like Green, Alperen Sengon is expected to play an important role in this series, especially when the Warriors have a thin frontcourt rotation. While Sengon has performed relatively well, the Turkish big man has all the conditions to create a greater threat.

In his first playoff series, Sengong averaged 20.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. However, he shot only 45% from the field and 62.5% from free throws.

Although Sengen looks unstoppable in some rounds, the 6-foot-11 center is exposed when it comes to the inside against former NBA defensive player of the year Draymond Green. Sengen often relies on body shape advantages, and Green once again proves why he is the mainstay of the Warriors dynasty’s defensive end. Facing Sengen, Green was slightly inferior in size, but with his physical fitness and super defensive toughness, the Rockets center felt uncomfortable.

Like Green, this is Sengen's first playoff experience. Although the performance is not outstanding, the Rockets have his future still bright.

Dillon Brooks

It is safe to say that Dillon Brooks is the X factor that the Rockets valued most before the series. He is an ideal candidate to defend players like Curry and Butler, but he failed to maintain his firepower.

Brooks averaged 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He can always easily disrupt the Warriors' stars, and even let Curry, who has always been calm, get a technical foul. The Rockets forward was also accused of targeting Curry's injured thumbs while defending him several times. Without Brooks, Houston would have a hard time turning the game in the series.

However, the seven-game series has obviously exhausted the controversial offense and defense player's physical fitness. In the sixth game, Brooks made 1 of 5 shots and scored only 3 points. In the last key game, he made only 3 of 9 shots and scored only 8 points. This is generally the case on the defensive end. In Game 7 of the winning and losing game, Golden State Warriors’ shooters were almost completely unhurried by Brooks. Buddy Hilder burst into 33 points, including nine three-pointers. On the other hand, Curry made four three-pointers and scored 22 points. After the dust settled, the Warriors stars' dissatisfaction with Brooks continued. Although this is not new to Brooks, considering his previous mischiefs, it would be even better if it could have a greater impact on him.