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Utah Jazz vs. LA Clippers Playoff Preview: Player Comparison

By Jared Woodcox

Mar 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) defend Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) under 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 forward Blake Griffin (32) and forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) defend Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) under 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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Oct 30, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) fouls Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Clippers won 88-75. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) fouls Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Clippers won 88-75. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

George Hill vs. Chris Paul

George Hill – 16.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.0 STL, 47.1 FG%, 39.3 3P%

Chris Paul – 18.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 9.2 APG, 1.9 STL, 47.7 FG%, 40.5 3P%

Although George Hill has had a frustrating season filled with a seemingly never-ending struggle with injuries, there’s no questioning that his acquisition this season has been a big reason why the Jazz are a 50-win team and are playoff-bound for the first time in four seasons.

His stats have been phenomenal (especially during the season’s early going when his efficiency was through the roof) as he’s logging a career-high in points per game and well over his career averages in field goal and three-point percentages. The point guard position was an enormous void for Utah last season and Hill, especially when he’s been on and healthy, has been a lifesaver.

However, even with such being the case, looking at the major stats that I’ve included above, Hill has the edge over Paul in a grand total of…zero of them. That isn’t a knock on Hill or to say that he isn’t absolutely vital to the Jazz, but Chris Paul is simply one of the greatest point guards in the league and few others at his position would have the edge over him.

https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/851665520973578240

Paul is a dead eye shooter and a phenomenal and pesky defender. He has the capability to catch fire and hit from anywhere on the court, but is also excellent at setting up his teammates as evidenced by his staunch 9.2 assists per game.

The one area where Hill enjoys somewhat of an advantage over Paul is in his length. Hill’s size and wingspan allow him to be an irritant on defense and if he’s at full-strength come playoff time, leveraging that strength will be critical if he hopes to slow CP3 and force him into an inefficient series.

Hill certainly looked good in limited minutes against the Warriors last night, so the hope will be that he’ll be healthy and that solid play will continue into the playoffs. Even if it does, though, there’s still no denying that Chris Paul has the edge in this match-up and the likely best case scenario for the Jazz is that Hill neutralizes Paul, but isn’t likely to outplay him completely.

Advantage – Chris Paul, Clippers

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