(1) Utah Jazz versus (5) Los Angeles Clippers
(52-20) (47-25)
UTA: Won
season-series 2-1
Of the eight teams remaining in the 2021
NBA Playoffs, five of the teams have not won the Larry O’Brien trophy. Those
remaining eight teams have a combined 384 seasons without winning an NBA title.
Two of those teams will meet for the fourth time in the postseason history in
matchup of the new-age National Basketball Association where low-post play will
be for the most part non-existent; where there will be plenty of isolations;
plenty of three-pointers will be shot; and some solid defense from some of the
best defenders in the league.
When the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles
Clippers locked horns twice in the First-Round of the 1992 and 1997 NBA
Playoffs winning 3-2 and 3-0 respectably in those best-of-five series, with their bread and butter attack at the offensive was the
pick-and-roll between Hall of Famers John Stockton and Karl Malone that
incorporated ball movement and the ability to score at the hoop, which would
lead to wide open jumpers, with a mix of three-point shots. It was a little
different in their 2017 First-Round tilt with the Clippers where the pick-and-roll was initiated by now Charlotte
Hornets All-Star swingman Gordon Hayward where the post presence was Derrick
Favors. The Jazz on that best-of-seven First-Round series 4-3.
In this matchup between the Jazz and
Clippers offensive attacks is out of isolation basketball from their respective
wing players, more on them in a moment. Out of those isolations, they try to
create wide open three-pointers and attempts at the basket. They create those
offensive opportunities off their defense.
So, it is fitting that these two teams
would matchup to see which one is best coordinated to get one step closer to
competing for the NBA title.
The Jazz are led by All-Star Donovan
Mitchell, who initiates the offense for the Jazz from the top of the key very
often trying to break down his defender. The same can be said for the Clippers,
who have two of the best wing players to initiate their offense in two-time
Finals MVP and two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard and fellow perennial
All-Star Paul George.
In the event when Mitchell for the Jazz
and Leonard and George have attracted a second or third defender, each squad
has made it second nature to make the pass to the open man at three-point
range.
For the Jazz that has resulted in them
making an NBA single-season record 16.7 three-pointers per game. For the
Clippers that ball movement has resulted in them shooting 41.1 percent from
three-point range.
The other thing that these two teams have
in common is that they have had to prove their naysayers wrong because of their
past short comings in the postseason.
For the last two seasons, the Jazz have
seen their season conclude in the opening-round of the playoffs, with their
most recent early exit coming in the opening-round of the 2020 Playoffs where
they lost to the No. 3 Seeded Denver Nuggets in seven games after being up in
the series 4-3.
They got off to a rough start in Game 1 of
the opening-round of the 2021 Playoffs falling 112-109 without Mitchell, who
was sidelined with a sprained right ankle.
Mitchell returned to the lineup and the
Jazz closed out the pesky young Grizzlies in five games, winning the final four
games of the series.
In the Game 5 clincher at home, Mitchell
had 30 points, 10 assists, six rebounds on 11 for 16 shooting, including 5 for
8 from three-point range, helping the Jazz advance to the Semifinals for first
time since 2018.
“Body’s a little sore. It’s been 40 days and
then you go ahead and play in the playoffs,” Mitchell, who averaged 28.5 points and 5.8 assists on 45.0 percent from the field, going 14 for 35 from three-point range in the four games he played in the series against the Grizzlies said to NBATV’s Joel
Meyers and Brendan Haywood after the Game 5 clincher about his health. “Just trying
to find my rhythm I think is the biggest thing for me.”
For the series against the Grizzlies,
Mitchell averaged 28.5 points and 5.8 assists playing four of the five games on
45 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.
The Jazz as a team shot 40.6 percent from three-point range in the opening-round against the Grizzlies
“I think tonight was a good start. I hadn’t
really shot it well all series but I was doing little things to keep my
teammates involved and be aggressive. And we got time off, so, I’m going to
continue to rep out and get my body stronger and get ready for this next round.”
For the Clippers, they were taken by the
aforementioned Nuggets in seven games in the 2020 West Semis after they too
held a 3-1 series lead.
That setback cost then head coach Glenn
“Doc” Rivers his job and was replaced by his assistant coach Tyronn Lue that
offseason.
Their 2021 postseason too did not get off
to a strong start as they dropped the first two games at home to their
opening-round opponent in the Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers bounced back
taking both Games 3 and 4 in Texas to tie the series 2-2.
After falling in Game 5 again at home
105-100 to fall behind 3-2, the Clippers once again won at the Mavericks 104-97
to tie the series 3-3, thanks the playoff career-high of 45 points by Leonard
on 18 for 25 from the field, including 5 for 9 from three-point range. George
chipped in with a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds with six assists
and three block shots.
After the road team took the first six games of the First-Round between the Mavericks and Clippers, the first in a best-of-seven series in NBA postseason history, the Clippers finally took down the Mavericks at home 126-111 on Sunday.
Leonard was the catalyst again with a near triple-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists and four steals as improved his career record in Game 7 to 3-3. George had his second straight double-double with 22 points and 10 assists improving his career Game 7 mark to 2-3.
The Clippers for the series shot 37.3 percent from three-point range.
To put how big of a win this was for the
Clippers into context, this was just their second win all-time in a
best-of-seven series where they trailed 3-2, with their lone win coming in Game
7 of the 2015 First-Round versus the San Antonio Spurs.
“Total team win,” Coach Lue, who is no 8-2
in elimination games in his coaching career. “We wanted this moment. It’s a
great test for us. Making us battle tested going into the Second Round. So, like
I said it was a big win for us.”
For the series, Leonard averaged 32.1
points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.3 steals on an astonishing 61.2
percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three-point range. George, who has
faced his share of criticism for coming up small in the postseason in recent
years, averaged 23.6 points, nine rebounds, and 5.7 assists on 46 percent from
the field.
The headliners in this No. 1 versus No. 5
tilt are Mitchell for the Jazz and Leonard and George for the Clippers and will
play a major role in who wins this series.
There is the possibility though that they
cancel each other out in this series, meaning that the play of each squads
supporting cast will go a long way in who moves on the Western Conference
Finals.
For the Jazz, their supporting cast
consists of Kia Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert, who
averaged 17.4 points, 13 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks on an incredible 77.8 percent
from the field in the opening-round against the Grizzlies.
The “Stifle Tower’s” rim protection will
be a major key in making Leonard think twice before deciding to play bully-ball
against some of the Jazz’s wing players. Over the last two regular seasons,
Leonard has connected on just 35.5 percent of his shots (33 for 93 shooting)
against the Jazz, including 7 of his 16 shots in the restricted area, including
just 5 for 13 with Gobert on the floor.
Gobert’s understudy Derrick Favors (5.8
ppg, 5.6 rpg, 80 FG%) will also be key in making sure Gobert remains fresh.
Those wing players consists of Sixth Man of the Year Winner Jordan Clarkson (18.6 ppg), who had his ups and downs in the First-Round against the Grizzlies, shooting just 40.8 percent from the floor and 23.8 percent from three-point range. Aside from going 4 for 9 from three-point range on his way to scoring 24 points in the Game 4 win at the Grizzlies (121-111), Clarkson shot 6 for 33 from three-point range in Games 1, 2,3 and 5.
The good thing for the Jazz is that they
have other options to go to in Bojan Bogdanovic (18.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 49.2 FG%,
43.3 3-Pt.%), who missed the 2020 postseason in the restart in Orlando because
of wrist surgery; first time All-Star this past regular season Mike Conley
(17.4 ppg, 8.6 apg 46.7 FG%, 54.8 3-Pt.%); Royce O’Neale (11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg,
51.3 FG%, 53.6 3-Pt.%); fellow Kia Sixth Man of the Year candidate Joe Ingles
(6.0 ppg, 35.0 3-Pt.%), who also had his shooting struggles against the
Grizzlies shooting just 40 percent from the floor overall; and Georges Niang
(6.0 ppg, 40.0 3-Pt.%).
Conley though is coming into the Clippers
series hobbled as he is dealing with a mild hamstring strain and is
questionable for Game 1 on Tuesday night. If Conley is unavailable or limited
that would be a major problem for a Jazz squad whose wing players will be going
against a Clippers group of wings that are some of the perimeter defenders in
the NBA from as mentioned Leonard and George, and Reggie Jackson (15.4 ppg,
39.3 3-Pt.%), Nicolas Batum (9.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 47.8 FG%), Terance Mann, and
Rajon Rondo.
"The way that they played against Dallas. The way they space the floor, you have the top three-point shooting team in the league. They're able to put five guys out there that can all make shots, and they have other guys that can create shots" Coach Snyder said about the Clippers three-point marksmanship. "So, there's a lot of things that goes into that. You're going to end up giving something up. Those adjustments are never completely black and white. You usually know more as the series progresses and you make some assumptions on the front end, and you go from there."
Speaking of the Clippers guard line, the
biggest question for them is who will step up and be their main holder at the
lead guard spot.
The Clippers hoped it would be Rondo, who
they acquired from the Atlanta Hawks at the Mar. 25 trade deadline to provide
leadership and a high IQ on the floor. That is what they really missed in the
2020 postseason, but Rondo has looked nothing like the player who during this
time of the year really stands out with his play.
If that does not come though for Coach
Lue, they do have other options in Jackson, who had 25 points and nine rebounds
in Game 6 at the Mavericks.
After not playing early on in the season
both Jackson and Mann stayed ready and when they were called upon in the
First-Round they responded.
Unlike last year in the Playoffs, the
Clippers have a plethora of options to use depending on the matchup or the feel
of the game that Coach Lue might have on that evening.
One night he might go with Batum or he
could go with Luke Kennard like he did in Game 7, providing another option to
space the floor with his perimeter shooting.
"It's always fun to matchup against a guy from your own country, same country," Batum said about going against fellow Frenchman Gobert. "He had a great season. Yes, he's going to be Defensive Player of the Year. I hope he win. He deserves it. But now I got to beat him."
Batum added, "Utah had a great, great season. Great players, great coaching staff. But we want the same thing."
Coach Lue also have options and
versatility at center with Ivica Zubac who barely played in the Mavericks
series and possibly Serge Ibaka if his lower back that shelved him for 30 games
in the regular season can hold up. Coach Lue also has the option of playing DeMarcus Cousins, who did not play against Grizzlies in the First-Round.
Going small like Coach Lue did against the
Mavericks will not work very often in this series when you have to tangle with
Gobert.
It has been 23 years since the Utah Jazz
were in the NBA Finals as their Hall of Fame duo of Karl Malone and John
Stockton got them there but they were denied both times by fellow Hall of Famers
Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, head coach Phil Jackson and the
Chicago Bulls who won both Finals tilts in 1997 and 1998 in six games.
For much of this season, the Jazz sat near
or at the top of the Western Conference standings for the first time since the
1997-98 season, and while they have had their skeptics because most of the
usual contenders in the Denver Nuggets, the former reigning NBA champion Los
Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers dealt with injuries issues throughout
the regular season.
The Jazz who as mentioned advances to West Semis for the first time since 2018 have stepped up to the plate, are
well rested after having six days of rest and practice since closing their series
against the Grizzlies and are primed to finally take that next step towards
their first NBA title in franchise history.
“Last year is last year and this year’s
this year. Game 3’s Game 3 and Game 5’s Game 5,” Jazz head coach Quin Snyder
said in his postgame presser after the Game 5 clinching victory about the Jazz
and their early postseason exits the two previous years. “The thing about this
time of the year is that it’s as important to be able to forget as it is to
remember.”
Mitchell added by saying about last year that the entire team from him, Gobert, Ingles, and Conley "felt the same hurt" and entering the Semis against the Clippers they still carry that same chip on their shoulder.
"Yeah we're the best team in the NBA and there's a swagger that comes behind that too. But understanding that we just felt the loss before. And we don't want to go back to that feeling," Mitchell added. "Just because we won a series it's not like the end all. So, for us, yeah we're the No. 1 team in the regular season but at the end of the day, it's like a high school kid, No. 1 ranked kid going to college, doesn't mean nothing."
For the Clippers, they just went through
the fire in a major way in the opening-round of this year’s Playoffs, advancing to the West Semis in consecutive season for the first time since 2014 and 2015 and for just the fourth time in their Los Angeles history.
This franchise understands more than anyone in the league that the chance of advancing one step closer to winning a title is something that does not come easily or very often for them especially.
To put this into context of the eight teams in the 2021 Conference Semifinals they have gone 384 combined seasons without winning an NBA title. The Clippers, Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, who were in the Western Conference Finals a season ago, and the Phoenix Suns have yet to win an NBA championship.
While the Jazz have one All-Star in
Donovan Mitchell, while the Clippers have two All-Stars in Kawhi Leonard, whose
been to the top of the NBA mountain twice and George who is eager to get there
himself.
“Just for me it’s about the situation that’s
in front of you,” Leonard said after the win in Game 7. “It’s all about the
moment. Sometimes when you’re overconfident, you play bad. Sometimes when you’re
down on yourself, you play good.”
“For me, it’s about focusing in on that
moment, having fun and playing hard. That’s it. It’s the game of basketball.”
Prediction:
Clippers in seven games.
https://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/team/utah; and https://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/lac.
No comments:
Post a Comment