Jan 17, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) drives to the basket during the third quarter as Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) defends at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 17, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) drives to the basket during the third quarter as Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) defends at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Warriors and Rockets are fighting for a ticket to the NBA Finals, but only one of them will get the honor of representing the Western Conference. Who is it going to be?

-== 7 Reasons Why The Warriors Should Re-Sign Draymond Green ==-

This series will come down to matchups, so which one will b All of our writers here at Warriors World have submitted their predictions for the series, tell us what you think and comment at the bottom of the page:

Jordan Ramirez

Josh Smith vs. THE WORLD. Seriously, J-Smoove, Josh Smith, also known as the guy who dropped 34 points in consecutive games on 58 percent shooting to help lead his team to a miraculous comeback against the Clippers just days ago. He’s a force to be reckoned with, which is a scary proposition for both the Warriors and his own team. He’s a wild card, and he’ll be matched up a ton with Green, who not only loves a challenge, but to embarrass you as well.
Smith plays perfectly into what the Rockets do simply because you have no idea what Josh Smith you’ll get in any game. He can hit threes (55 percent his last two games), but can’t make free throws (44 percent for the series), but can defend well enough to go out and challenge a three-point shot and is big enough to put up a fight inside. He’s also known to not be the brightest of basketball minds, which can play perfectly into transition points for the opposition and kill any type of momentum his own team musters.
Expect fireworks in any case.

Danny Leroux

Klay vs. Harden. They will only be matched up on one end of the floor most of the time but that duel could play the largest role in deciding the series. Thompson just had a monster series defending Mike Conley but will have a much different assignment against The Runner-Up. Harden’s ability to get opponents into foul trouble poses a problem as well because even thought he Warriors have depth on the perimeter, Klay’s replacements are more limited offensively. Staying on the court and keeping his head above water could be enough, amazingly.

Sheed Malek

Dwight v Bogut. Howard looks like his old Orlando self, jumping out the gym, attacking and being a force in the paint. Howard has the quickness and strength advantage over Bogut and Houston will look to exploit Bogut’s lack of movement in the PnR. Dwight avoiding foul trouble and falling victim to Bogut’s mental games is a huge key for Houston.

Yama Hazheer

Klay Thompson vs. James Harden will be the most interesting matchup during the series. It’s a battle of some of the best shooting guards in the league. Harden is a better player, but Thompson is the superior defender. He can limit Harden, but the true challenge will be if Thompson can save energy to perform consistently on offense himself. For what it’s worth, Thompson out-played Harden in their individual matchups during the regular season and made every difficult shot for the Rockets two-guard.