2019 NBA Playoffs: Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz preview

Key Question No. 3: Who will win the battle in the paint?

Outside of the guard play highlighted by James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, and the contrasting playing styles,, another key question that will come into this series is which team will take be able to advantage of their post players and win the battle in the paint.

The key matchup on this front is between Houston’s Clint Capela and Utah’s Rudy Gobert.

In games between the two teams this season, the Jazz found success against the Rockets when Gobert — with assistance from Derrick Favors and others — performed well in the paint and owned the battle against Capela and company.

Houston, on the other hand, doesn’t need to rely so much on Capela in the paint due to having an MVP frontrunner on its side. But if Utah is able to contain the Rockets’ offense from behind the arc, Capela will likely appear as a key component in the paint in this series.

During the regular season, the post presence for the Jazz has been a much larger aspect to their game and overall success than compared to the Rockets’ style and success.

For Utah, 44.2 percent of its overall offensive production has come from points in the paint, ranking 13th in the league. For Houston, it ranked 29th in the NBA in points in the paint, with 37 percent of its offense coming in the post.

As important as Harden, Mitchell and the outside game will be for both teams in this series, the battle in the paint will be something to keep an eye on as well.