Utah Jazz: Pros and cons of the first-round series against OKC

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – DECEMBER 23:(EDITORS NOTE: Image has been converted to black and white.) Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz talks with Russell Westbrook #0, Carmelo Anthony #7, and Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder after the game on December 23, 2017 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 2017 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Thunder have the most talented players

OK, I made Thunder fans mad at me earlier, now it’s time to turn on my own (though I suspect several will agree with me as well). As great as several of Utah’s individual players are including Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, Utah’s strength lies in the power of their team as a whole. However, it’s indeed the Thunder who have the most talented players on the court in Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

I know, I know, I’m going to get murdered by a lot of Jazz fans for putting both of them ahead of Gobert, and while you could certainly argue that Rudy is the most important player on the court and without a doubt the best rim protector, as far as being able to create shots, take over games and will their team to victory, Westbrook and George have the most impressive track record and talent.

And while I prefer Utah’s team-first approach and believe that it could be a huge advantage for them when all is said and done in this series, there’s also no disputing that having the two best offensive players could lead to the Thunder having an edge that will be hard to overcome. The Jazz will need to have an answer for both of those players all along the way.

Rudy Gobert on the loss: "The physicality, getting hit, that's what we're going to get when we get to OKC. I think it was a good way to get acclimated to what we're going to get."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 12, 2018

There’s two bits of good news to this, though. As good as both Westbrook and George are, neither of them is known for being particularly clutch. In a close late-game situation, this could certainly benefit Utah. Not only that, but you could say that last season’s first-round matchup was the same way, with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin being the two most talented players on the court.

Utah’s team-first approach worked there (I acknowledge that Griffin’s injury helped, too) and it very well could work again. But one thing is certain, the Jazz can’t sleep on OKC’s two main stars. They’ve been known to do major damage in the postseason, and if left unchecked, it could spell the Jazz’s doom.

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