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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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November 21, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) moves the ball as forward Blake Griffin (32) provides coverage against Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph (6) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
November 21, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) moves the ball as forward Blake Griffin (32) provides coverage against Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph (6) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

The Pick And Roll

With such crafty and talented players like Paul leading their charge, it should be no surprise that the Clippers go to a pick and roll attack early and often. Over the last several years, the pick and roll has grown in use across the league, meaning it is imperative that each team know both how to use it as well as how to slow it down.

According to Synergy, the Clippers as a team go to the pick and roll 17.9 percent of the time, scoring a superb 0.92 points per possession when they do so. Chris Paul in particular keys this effort, orchestrating the action on almost 30 percent of his possessions.

He’s shooting a career-high 41 percent from behind the arc, so the Jazz won’t have the luxury of going under any high screens Los Angeles sets. This puts a ton of responsibility on Rudy Gobert and whoever else will be defending the screen-setter, as Ben Falk of Cleaning the Glass notes.

"The Jazz are putting a lot of pressure on Gobert to be able to keep the ball handler guessing and effectively defend both the ball handler and the roller. Notice that by playing Gobert this way they can still attempt to protect the basket without the weak side defenders having to leave their men much, which takes away kickouts to threes. In exchange they put much less pressure on the ball and concede decent looks in midrange."

When they do need to bring the big out onto the perimeter, Utah will of course be at a disadvantage, but Gobert has shown the quickness necessary to dissuade ballhandlers from beating him for easy buckets.

DeAndre Jordan is much less effective posting up or otherwise playing any role aside from the dive man, so the Jazz would do well to shut down the screen game early in this series.

The Jazz are likewise dependent on the pick and roll, although they’ll run it through a myriad of player combinations in hopes of exploiting a weakness, which could come in the form of the less-mobile Speights as the defender of the roll man.

That variability may prove key, especially if Utah can learn how to shut down the Clippers’ action in that area over a longer series.

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