Rockets GM: Toppling Warriors 'only thing we think about'
Daryl Morey knows all too well that the road to the NBA championship runs through the Golden State Warriors.
The Houston Rockets general manager reconstructed his club with that in mind, and thinks about the Western Conference rival often.
"It's the only thing we think about," he said on ESPN's "The Ryen Russillo Show" on Thursday. "I think I'm not supposed to say that, but we're basically obsessed with 'how do we beat the Warriors?'"
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He noted he's also worried about the San Antonio Spurs, who eliminated the Rockets last season in the West semis, but he's much more concerned about the defending champs, who sent Houston packing in the 2015 and 2016 playoffs.
"We calculated it - it's like 90 percent if we're gonna win a title, we've gotta obviously beat the Warriors at some point," he explained. "So we're extremely focused on that. A lot of our signings and what we do during the year is based on that. ... I don't know why you'd do anything else. Like, what is the point of this league except winning a title?"
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Morey said after Golden State won the title in June - its second in three years - that he had something up his sleeve to counter the Dubs' domination. The executive, who's been at the forefront of the NBA's advanced-analytics movement, ended up pairing James Harden with a fellow star backcourt mate in Chris Paul over the offseason, and surrounded them with 3-point shooters.
The number-crunching and bold dealings are paying off, with the club boasting the top record in the NBA (25-5) this year. The Rockets hoist 43.2 3-point attempts per game (nine more than the next closest team) and have the best offensive rating - 113.6 points per 100 possessions. Houston's been no slouch at the other end, either, ranking seventh with a defensive rating of 103.
It's all coming together for the Rockets, who look like they can give the Warriors a run for their money.