2018 NBA Playoffs: 5 factors that will determine the outcome of the Western Conference Finals

#5 Will the Rockets' bench be effective enough?

While on paper the Rockets' bench looks quite solid and ready to deal with the competition posed by the Golden State bench, they have, by and large, underperformed in this postseason.

Eric Gordon is averaging 12.9 points per game, but his field goal percentage stands at a lowly 34.9% while his three-ball is just not efficient anymore (31.4%). Ryan Anderson is yet to receive meaningful minutes, having only played a total of 67 minutes in 6 appearances while averaging 3.2 points per game.

Joe Johnson is yet to come off the bench even once, despite having signed for them mid-season on this premise. Nene's ability to finish at the rim has dipped with his increasing age, and he's playing lower minutes than ever before.

Their only bench player to make a consistent impact in the playoffs so far is Houston-bred Gerald Green. The 32-year-old has provided a spark off the bench and has the ability to guard multiple positions while knocking down 3-pointers consistently.