Paul Tooke
Series MVP:
When this series is said and done, I think that Chris Paul will be the clear MVP for the Clippers. He is consistent enough, and has enough playoff experience to lead us past this Utah Jazz team. We are a good enough team where we don’t need or depend on our point guard to drop 25 points a night, but I see him dishing out the ball with few turnovers to get our guys going. I am really looking forward to and expecting him to get 12+ assists and 3-4 steals each game, including one triple-double. He is one of the most competitive players in the game, and when the stakes are high, CP3 reaches those number with ease.
X-Factor:
Blake Griffin will be a big part of our fight out of the first round. If he can consistently take the ball in the high post and score the way he does so well, the rest of the team will have more opportunities to get buckets from the wings. He can really disrupt the Jazz’s defense if he plays smart and aggressive with the ball.
Series Prediction:
LA Clippers in 5. This is incredibly optimistic, but we just ended the season on a 7 game win streak, with wins over the Rockets and Spurs with no big stars resting. We are hot right now, and I expect that to carry into this series. Plus, with a 3-1 record over the Jazz in the regular season, we clearly have their number.
Match-ups:
Of course DeAndre Jordan and Rudy Gobert is the match-up to watch, but I am confident that DJ will be able to handle him offensively defensively. If DJ was a lazy or slow defending center, I would be terrified, however he is definitely not. Gordon Hayward will also require attention. He can be dangerous when he is locked in, so we really need the best out of Luc Mbah a Moute.