The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Previewing each potential first-round playoff matchup

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 15: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz talks to the media on the court after the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 15, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 15: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz talks to the media on the court after the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 15, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 9: Tobias Harris #34 and Lou Williams #23 of the LA Clippers high five during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 8, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 9: Tobias Harris #34 and Lou Williams #23 of the LA Clippers high five during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 8, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /

LA Clippers

The LA Clippers have been one of the more surprising teams since the All-Star break in my mind. Though I have expected them to slow down and drop off on several occasions, they remain firmly in the hunt. They have slipped to just outside the playoff mix at ninth place in the West, but they’re only a game out and have won seven of their last ten.

Much like the Nuggets, though, it’s probably a long-shot that the Clippers will wind up facing the Jazz in the first round as it would require quite a run for both teams. And especially considering how daunting of a remaining schedule they have left that includes several games against heavy hitters, there’s a good chance they’ll join Denver as one of the two contending teams that ultimately comes up short.

Then again, they’ve proven me wrong all season, so who’s to say they won’t continue? Many proclaimed them dead in the water following the Blake Griffin trade, but they’ve actually been even better than they were prior as they’ve posted a 12-6 record since parting ways with him. I’ve always been a big fan of Tobias Harris and he has impressed in LA at 20.4 points per game on 48.5 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent from deep.

Meanwhile, Lou Williams continues to play like an All-Star with a team-best 23 points per game and a group of players that some may view as rag-tag continues to hum and exceed expectations, especially considering the injuries they’ve had to deal with this season.

The Jazz own the regular season series lead over the Clippers by a count of 2-1, but it’s hard to know who would have the edge in the playoffs as all three of those games took place prior to the Griffin trade and prior to Utah’s incredible run of 20 wins in 22 games. We will likely get a clearer picture of which team has the matchup advantage when they tip-off against one another on April 5 in Salt Lake in a game that could potentially have huge playoff implications for both teams.

My gut tells me that once again this would be a quite favorable matchup for the Jazz, especially based on how they’ve been playing of late. The guys I mentioned previously as well as rim protector extraordinaire DeAndre Jordan would be tough to contain, but not particularly overwhelming. And Utah’s depth as well as their coaching, which was in full display in last year’s Quin Snyder-Doc Rivers showdown, would likely help them hold a significant advantage.

Again, this one is far from likely to happen based on the landscape and trends of the Western Conference playoff contenders, and I’ll hold off on passing a final judgement until the Jazz and Clippers face off for that fourth time in April, but initially I’d say this is another where Utah would have a favorable matchup if they were to go up against the Clippers in the first round.

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