Ryan Snellings (@rsnellings25)
Series MVP:
I think it has to be Blake Griffin. He has not played well against the Jazz this year, but his offense will be so important. If he can come out and attack as he did against the Spurs a couple of years ago, he could possibly neutralize the Jazz’s biggest threat: Rudy Gobert. The rule of thumb is to go at a shot blocker. If Blake can drive hard and get Gobert into foul trouble early, then the whole offense will open up and no one will be able to contain him. Expect another “break out” series for Blake.
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X-Factor:
Doc Rivers. Yes, I’m going with the head coach. Will he stagger line ups? He has been doing it more recently, but I’m still apprehensive. Will he be able to keep the team on track? If something doesn’t go there way, can he get them focused back on the game? If the Clippers go up in the series, can he make sure they close out before looking forward to the series with Golden State? There are so many things Doc needs to manage and if he doesn’t do it well, it could spell doom for the team.
Series Prediction:
I say the LA Clippers win it in 6. They’ll get a nice 2-0 lead, then drop the 2 in Utah as they get a little too cocky. Book it.
Match-Up:
Like everyone else, I’m excited to see the Rudy Gobert versus DeAndre Jordan match-up. It’s going to be awesome watching two of the premiere defensive centers in the league square off. Hopefully we get some highlight blocks and lobs from the two of them.