Playoff Preview: Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz

In the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the #4 seeded Los Angeles Clippers (51-31) will take on the #5 seeded Utah Jazz (51-31). The Clippers won the regular season series 3-1. Game 1 will tip off on Saturday at 10:30 PM EST on ESPN.

Of all the first round playoff series', this one projects to be the closest. The records are identical, for one thing and both teams have dominant big men and guys who can score from the wing. This series really could go either way.

The matchup down in the paint should be particularly fun to watch. Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan (12.7 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks) and Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert (14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks) are a throwback to a different era when there were more dominant big men. Watching them clash down low will be reminiscent of watching Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing face off in the paint. There are so few true big men making an impact in the NBA right now and to have two of them facing off in the same series is certain to be a real treat.

While it will be fun to watch Jordan and Gobert face off, I expect the two of them to cancel each other out. Neither one will sway this series in either direction. What will ultimately sway this series is coaching, the perimeter play, and which star player is able to deliver the goods in crunch time.

In regards to coaching, I think this is a fascinating matchup. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has a ton of playoff experience while Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is making his first trip to the playoffs. That said, I think Snyder has done a better job with his team and really has the Jazz playing good basketball. The Jazz are moving the ball well, they are getting each other involved, and are playing defense at an elite level.

 If the Jazz are going to win this series, Quin Snyder's stellar coaching will have to be a huge factor whereas for the Clippers, Doc Rivers needs to find a way to use his experience to his advantage. Doc Rivers knows how he'll handle close games in the playoffs because he's been there whereas for Quin Snyder he is yet to be in those kind of moments. It will certainly be interesting to see what decisions both coaches make down the stretch of close games. The decisions they make could ultimately decide this series.

In regards to perimeter play, the Clippers have Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford, and Austin Rivers while the Jazz have Gordon Hayward, George Hill, Rodney Hood, and Shelvin Mack. The battle in the backcourt will be crucial to this series. Both teams have guys who can shoot it from beyond the arc and penetrate the lane. Whichever group does a better job will give their team a definite edge.

In regards to the star play, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will be expected to deliver the goods for the Clippers while Gordon Hayward and George Hill will be expected to do the same for the Jazz. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have more playoff experience than Gordon Hayward (first appearance), but George Hill has some playoff experience going back to his days with the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers. While there is more pressure on Gordon Hayward to have a big series, George Hill can help take a lot of that pressure away through his stellar play in the backcourt and also his calming influence. He's been there before and can help Gordon Hayward make the transition.

In terms of a prediction for this series, I have the Utah Jazz finding a way to win the series in six games. Salt Lake City is one of the toughest place to play in the NBA and I don't see the Clippers getting a win on the road in this series. The combination of altitude and rowdy fans is what makes Salt Lake City such a tough place to win. As for the Staples Center, that place isn't as tough of a place to get a road playoff win, especially when it's the Clippers who are playing. I have a feeling that the Jazz will steal a game in Los Angeles and hold serve at home.

In order for my prediction to come to fruition, Gordon Hayward will need to have a big series. He's an NBA All-Star and is the face of this Jazz team. If he has a big series and gets the help he needs from the rest of his teammates, I really like their chances. If on the other hand, Hayward shrinks under the playoff spotlight, the Clippers will be the team that comes out on top in this series. The Clippers are a very good team and we certainly can expect Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to step up. Gordon Hayward will need to do the same in order for his team to win.




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The Utah Jazz are going back to the playoffs for the first time since 2012

For the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Utah Jazz are going back to the NBA playoffs, clinching a playoff spot earlier today. As it stands, the Jazz are 44-29 and the 4th seed in the Western Conference standings, with the 5th seeded Los Angeles Clippers at 44-31 and the 6th seeded Oklahoma City Thunder at 41-31. If the playoffs were to start today, the Jazz would face off against the Clippers and have home court advantage.

With a playoff spot now clinched, the Jazz now have to worry about seeding. With the 3rd seeded Houston Rockets 7 games ahead, the best the Jazz can realistically expect to do is hold down the fort at the 4th spot and secure home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Doing so would give the Jazz an excellent chance of advancing in the first round series and likely set up a second round series with the top-seeded Golden State Warriors, who are 59-14 right now.

The remaining 9 games for the Utah Jazz are vs. New Orleans on March 27, at Sacramento on March 29, vs. Washington on March 31, at San Antonio on April 2, vs. Portland on April 4, vs. Minnesota on April 7, at Portland on April 8, at Golden State on April 10, and vs. San Antonio on April 12.

Intuitively, the games against the Spurs and Warriors stand out, but what's good for the Jazz is that with those games coming so late in the season, there are good odds that the Spurs and Warriors will be resting their players, so it's very possible for the Jazz to take two out of those three games. The home games against New Orleans, Washington, Portland, and Minnesota should all be wins, leaving the games at Sacramento and at Portland as perhaps the toughest games just because those are teams that will not be resting anybody. This all means that the Jazz should be able to go 6-3 down the stretch for sure and possibly even go 7-2, which should be good enough for them to secure the 4th seed.

What's made the Jazz so dangerous this season is their versatility and weapons. Gordon Hayward is the star of this team, averaging 21.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, but he's gotten a lot of help from the likes of George Hill (16.9 points and 4.1 assists), Rodney Hood (12.8 points), and Rudy Gobert (13.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks). The Jazz can beat you out on the wing, they can beat you down on the block, they defend both the perimeter and interior really well, and are young, which means they play with a lot of energy.

What's crazy about this team is that they are 29th in the NBA in points per game (100.3), but also 3rd  in defensive rating (102.5). It's very rare to find a team that is so polarized, but it seems to be working out for them just fine. What allows the Jazz to still be successful despite this chasm is the fact that it isn't like they don't have guys who can score. Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood, and George Hill can all score the rock from the perimeter while Rudy Gobert does a great job at playing the garbage man underneath for put backs and alley-oop dunks. The Jazz have guys who can score and so while they may not score as many points, it's not like they are a team incapable of scoring. They just like to play at a slower pace and let their defense be what leads them to victory.

In terms of how deep this team can go, I think the Jazz have a great shot at getting out of the first round if they get the 4th seed and clinch home court advantage. Salt Lake City is a really difficult place to win on the road and so if the Jazz are able to clinch home court advantage, I like their chances to advance regardless of the opponent. The Clippers and Thunder are really good teams, but I don't see either team advancing to the second round against a Jazz team with home court advantage. The Jazz are THAT good at home.

As far as a second round match up with the Warriors or Spurs, I think odds are high that is where it would end for the Jazz. Of course, you never know what can happen with injuries and we've also seen  the whole dynamics of a series change when a team finds a way to steal one game on the road. That said, smart money has to take the Warriors or Spurs in a series against the Jazz.

What's important to understand if you are the Utah Jazz is that by clinching a playoff spot, they've had a really impressive season already. This is a young team that is hoping to make a lot of noise in the future and making the playoffs is the first step in achieving this goal. The Jazz are not a championship level team right now but all signs point to them being one in the seasons to come. Their front office has done a really good job of assembling the right talent through the draft and bringing in guys that are willing to buy in to the Utah Jazz way.

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The Utah Jazz need Rodney Hood back soon

                                        
                                            (Credit: FanDuel. Click here for video).

A lot of things are going right for the Utah Jazz right now. They are 34-22 overall and 5th place in the Western Conference standings, just half a game behind the 34-21 Los Angeles Clippers. Gordon Hayward has been named an All-Star and the team is trending upwards. Amid all that good news, there is a more immediate problem that the Jazz have to deal with, namely the absence of Rodney Hood, who is out indefinitely due to a bone contusion and Grade 1 LCL sprain in his right knee.

Hood is averaging 13.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game on 42.0% shooting from the field, 36.6% shooting from three-point range, and 75.3% shooting from the foul line. During his six game absence, the Jazz are just 3-3 and have lost 3 straight games, with their next game coming on Wednesday at home against the Trail Blazers. Hood is not expected to be back until after the All-Star break, which means that at a minimum he won't play on Wednesday. It is possible that he is back in time to play in the three-game road trip to Milwaukee, Washington, and Oklahoma City, but no guarantees. 

Even though this Utah Jazz team revolves around Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert, they have a lot of really good players like George Hill, Derrick Favors, and Rodney Hood that are playing an integral role in their success. Without Hood, the Jazz lose one of their top shooters and they are already a team that struggles to create their own offense. Much like the Memphis Grizzlies, the Jazz win games primarily by defending and rebounding. Scoring is not their strong suit and so to lose one of their best shooters really hurts.

Hopefully for the Jazz, Rodney Hood will be back sooner than later. They are right in the mix for the 4th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, which guarantees home court advantage in the first round. Getting that 4th seed will be pivotal to their postseason success and so they need to do all they can to get that spot. What makes the absence of Hood all the more concerning is the upcoming road trip to Milwaukee, Washington, and Oklahoma City. That's a road trip where the Jazz could easily drop two of three games. Especially if Hood is still out.

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