The Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors highlight a very exciting second round of the NBA playoffs. The two teams have had competitive battles previously, and we get to see them finally take each other on in a series.
How they got here
It may seem like forever ago that the Warriors played a game. That's because it was forever ago. The Warriors cruised past the Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs. The Jazz, on the other hand, had to earn their way here the hard way. Through seven tough games, the Jazz fought past the Clippers and made it into the second round.
Both teams were the better team to advance but one team has plenty of rest, and the other is heading into a hostile arena.
Keys for the Warriors
The Warriors have a few keys to their matchup against the Jazz. First and foremost, they need to get a rhythm going with how much time they have been off. Either they'll come out strong, or they may come out and need 10 to 12 minutes to get back into the playoff shape.
The main keys after that are pretty much all defensively. The Jazz have great ball movement, and the main key for the Warriors is to get them to settle for jumpers. Whether that means you make them shoot early in the shot clock, or you keep them off the offensive glass, the less amount of attempts and quality attempts the Jazz get, the better for the Warriors.
On offense, the Warriors just need to play their game. Ball movement is key but playing within the flow of the offense will help a lot for them.
Keys for the Jazz
The Jazz are at such a disadvantage from all aspects of the series. The best thing they have to use though is that they aren't predicated on one guy on offense. The Warriors dominate teams who are dominant by one player.
The Jazz has Gordon Hayward, but they have a lot of ball movement on their team that they can beat you without Hayward getting 40.
This is good for the Jazz, but they will need to trust this offense. They can't settle for quick shots just because they get them. They have to make the Warriors work on defense. Teams that make the Warriors work on defense are a lot more successful than ones that don't.
Secondly, it's all about efficiency. The Jazz are going to have to make shots. The Warriors' shooters are elite, and the only way the Jazz matchup are if they make shots too.
This series is a very entertaining idea, but we might see it get out of hand quick. If you've watched this Warriors team, you can see just how dominant they are. That dominance may come to display in this series.
