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5 Things To Watch In The Jazz-Clippers Series

By Adam Coffman

Mar 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center Marreese Speights (5) guards Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) as he drives to the basket in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Clippers won 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center Marreese Speights (5) guards Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) as he drives to the basket in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Clippers won 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Utah Jazz
Mar 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center Marreese Speights (5) guards Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) as he drives to the basket in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Clippers won 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

With their opponent set, the Utah Jazz will need to prepare to face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. Here are the five biggest elements that will define the series.

For the first time since 2012, the Utah Jazz will be making an appearance in the NBA’s postseason. Unlike that year, when they were easily bounced in four games, the expectation may be that they fare at least slightly better this time around.

Although they couldn’t hold on to the Western Conference’s fourth seed, losing their hold on home-court in the first-round by virtue of a tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Jazz are by no means expected to fall early. FiveThirtyEight actually gives Utah a 52 percent chance of advancing to the conference semifinals.

After getting off to a scorching 10-1 start, the Clippers faltered significantly around the middle of the season before regaining form and finishing the year on an 8-2 run. Almost as impressively, the Jazz closed out the year on a 7-3 run, against one of the NBA’s hardest schedules.

Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz /

Utah Jazz

Looking only at the regular season head-to-head matchups between the two teams could lead you to believe the Jazz are overmatched against Los Angeles, as they won just one of four meetings this year.

However, as we’ll go over, there are several factors that should change the calculus significantly regarding this viewpoint.

Should they manage to win their first series, the Jazz would very likely play the Golden State Warriors – no small challenge, but perhaps one they’re up to.

Either way, it’s probably not a great idea to be looking so far ahead right now.

Utah doesn’t have a ton of playoff experience among the main cogs of its roster, while the Clippers’ core four have years of postseason play under their belt together.

This will be one of the main challenges they face, considering Los Angeles will be very motivated to finally get over the hump and reach a conference finals.

Following are five factors, players, and potential events that will prove key to this series.

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