2018 NBA Playoffs: Which juggernaut is coming out the West?

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 17: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after a play against the Houston Rockets with Kevin Durant #35 and Draymond Green during their NBA game at ORACLE Arena on October 17, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 11: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets straightens his jersey after being fouled against the Boston Celtics during the game on January 11, 2013 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) /

Best player in the series

Edge: Houston Rockets

This is likely an unpopular opinion, especially when the Warriors boast the likes of Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, but this is 2018. For all his faults on defense and the perception that he takes nights off, 2018 James Harden will be the best player on the floor when these two teams meet.

Both Durant and Curry have dealt with injuries, especially Curry, which knock them down a notch or two, but Harden has had a transcendent year.

Offensively, he has no true weaknesses. Harden can distribute the ball at a superior level, ending third in assists per game in the league this year. He is an above average rebounder for a guard, but it is his scoring that makes him deadly. His ability to score from beyond the arc, in the lane and at the line make him an unstoppable force.

Even with superior defenders like Thompson and Iguodala tasked with guarding him in the series, Harden will continue to fill up the stat sheet. The Warriors can only hope to pester him into an inefficient night, at best.