2018 NBA Playoffs: 5 Matchups that will dictate the Warriors vs Rockets Western Conference Finals

#4 Clint Capela vs JaVale McGee

Capela was the second coming of Dikembe Mutombo in the last 2 games of the series against Utah Jazz, tallying a total of 11 blocks in those outings - complete with the finger-wagging at the end of Game 4. He's possibly the most underrated player in the NBA currently, as in back-to-back series he has dominated centres who were thought to be better than him (Towns and Gobert), but he's not in the conversation for the Most Improved Player award (which does belong to Oladipo indisputably).

In this series, Capela will be forced out on to the perimeter much more often, and his shot-blocking numbers will take a hit. The Warriors' points in the paint come mostly off dishes to cutters from drives as well, so again, unless Capela is able to predict such moves, he's not going to get those blocks. But then, Capela has demonstrated that he's possibly the most comfortable centre in the game in terms of defending the perimeter, and his footspeed will stand him in good stead on switches.

The Warriors have mostly relied on a combination of different centres so far, and it is difficult to predict who they line up as a default centre in this particular series. But given Capela's ability to finish at the rim, it is quite likely that they will need an athletic big to guard him, and given how green Jordan Bell has looked so far in the playoffs, they will probably field JaVale McGee as their starting centre.

McGee did quite well in the limited playing time he had against the Spurs, and at times he looked like it was him setting the defensive tone for the Warriors - particularly in Game 1. However, he will probably be in sixes and sevens when he's switched out onto the perimeter to guard Chris Paul or James Harden.