It’s going to be must-watch television when the Houston Rockets host the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday night.For many, the series represents even more than that: since the two teams have been the best in the NBA all season long, the winner will most likely have an easier time facing off against the best of the East. Therefore, it looks like the winner of the West will likely become the NBA champion.To this point, it’s been relatively smooth sailing for both teams. However, they haven’t exactly looked dominant, which suggests that they’re both not playing their best basketball. That, of course, could all change under the bright lights moving forward.Both squads have shortened their rotations in the playoffs. Although Houston’s Mike D’Antoni doesn’t typically utilize very many players on his bench during the regular season, Golden State’s Steve Kerr has drastically shortened his depth in these playoffs.However, after the Warriors eliminated the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, he hinted that one player in particular might be counted on much more than in the first two rounds.

“Nick Young played really well against Houston this year, and he’s a good matchup for them,” Kerr said, per Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I think every series is different, and you have to look at your opponent and figure out what you need to do to match up.”

Young averaged just 7.9 minutes through Golden State’s first 10 playoff games. But, he put up 16.7 points per game while shooting a lights-out 16-for-24 in three regular-season contests against the Rockets.

“All three times we’ve played them this year, he’s played well,” teammate Draymond Green said. “He can make shots. When you can make shots, especially on this team, you’re going to get open looks. When you can knock those shots down at a high rate, which Nick is capable of going of, that’s really big. We have confidence in him.”

Like the Warriors, the Rockets fill up the points column at ease. Therefore, when Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant head to the bench, look for Young to exert his shooting ability when called upon in Game 1. As he’s showed over the course of his career, he’s not shy about shooting the basketball. Due to the presence of his teammates, opposing defenses will allow high-percentage looks to him.

If Young can step up and provide consistent scoring in the series, he might become a major x-factor for Golden State.

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