Can the Los Angeles Clippers carry their momentum on the back of a seven-game series into the second round against the Utah Jazz?
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The only bummer about this Western Conference semi-final series between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers is that this isn’t the Western Conference finals, because that’s how good this series is going to be. Top-seeded Jazz will have the benefit of rest as they took care of the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round in five games, while the No. 4 seed LA Clippers have gone back and forth seven games with the Dallas Mavericks before advancing to the second round.
See y’all Tuesday, @LAClippers.#TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/DgPSww9NGZ
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) June 6, 2021
Both of these teams will be hungry to prove that last season’s early playoff exits were just a blip, but at the end of the day only one team can advance.Â
This series matches two of the best 3-point-shooting teams this season. The Clippers deploying the best group of long-range shooters in league history after making a ridiculous 41.1 percent of their shots from deep in the regular season. The Jazz ranked not too far behind at fourth in the league 38.9 percent. Utah does attempt the most 3s per game (43) in the league, but the Clippers were a league average at 14th by taking just 34.7 attempts per game.
We’ve seen both of these teams get hot from deep before, and also seen them go ice cold. This could be the most exciting matchup in the postseason because of the efficiency on both sides of the ball.
The Jazz certainly need Conley at full strength against a defensively tough Clippers team. Conley made a huge impact on Utah’s offense, which earned him his first All-Star appearance.Â
Conley was brought in to ease some of the workload off the franchise young superstar Donovan Mitchell and he has certainly done so. His ability to score off the dribble, find his teammates out of a pick-and-roll and shoot a career-high three-point percentage this season (41.2 percent) makes him absolutely essential to what the Jazz do offensively.
Mike Conley is questionable for tomorrow’s game (mild right hamstring strain). pic.twitter.com/90xFa21Y9d
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) June 7, 2021
Conley is dealing with a mild hamstring strain, which kept him out of the majority of Game 5 in the first round against the Grizzlies.Â
The Jazz don’t have someone who can exploit Ivica Zubac on pick-and-rolls at the same level as Luka Doncic could in the first round.
On to Round 2. pic.twitter.com/71JdzI4ig8
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 7, 2021
It would make sense for the Clippers to play Zubac to match with Rudy Gobert in hopes to contain him, but it could be more beneficial for the Clippers to go back to that small-ball line-up and force Gobert to guard out on the wing.Â
Gobert is still very much a solid defender when he’s pulled away from the rim, but it’s the type of game-planning and adjustments that we could see throughout this series between two evenly matched teams.
The Game 1 between LA Clippers and Utah Jazz tips off on Tuesday.
