If you’ve caught yourself watching the Western Conference standings recently, then you’re not alone.
There are teams in the NBA that are so convinced of their roster that they take the regular season easy, and make fresh legs for the playoffs priority number one.
The San Antonio Spurs started it with resting up to four or five of their starters on back ends of back-to-backs earlier this decade. They knew their team and system could beat any opponent, on the road or at home.
The Cleveland Cavaliers during their four year run of consecutive NBA Finals trips only finished atop of the Eastern Conference once (2015-16). The other years, they would finish anywhere from second place to fourth.
Unlike these teams, the Utah Jazz (36-18) need all of the home court advantage that they can get.
To date this season, their home record against good teams is 7-5. On the road however, that record falls to a mere 4-8. Suffice it to say, this Jazz team has been one that can really build off good momentum or crumble from an off night.
If they get the privilege of starting a series with two games at Vivint Smart Home Arena, that will give them a greater chance of winning the series. If they win the series then there is a good chance they can carry that momentum into the next round.
But who are the teams in the Western Conference that could derail Utah’s hopes of making the Conference Finals?
https://t.co/CvqFXL0glE
<p>— Zack Padmore (@ZP12Hoops) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://twitter.com/ZP12Hoops/status/1229828833479663618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>February 18, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers during their four year run of consecutive NBA Finals trips only finished atop of the Eastern Conference once (2015-16). The other years, they would finish anywhere from second place to fourth.</p>
<p>Unlike these teams, the Utah Jazz (36-18) need all of the home court advantage that they can get.</p>
<p>To date this season, their home record against good teams is 7-5. On the road however, that record falls to a mere 4-8. Suffice it to say, this Jazz team has been one that can really build off good momentum or crumble from an off night.</p>
<p>If they get the privilege of starting a series with two games at Vivint Smart Home Arena, that will give them a greater chance of winning the series. If they win the series then there is a good chance they can carry that momentum into the next round.</p>
<p>Of equal importance to home court advantage is the opponent they face off against for the best of four games. I’ve already covered which teams the Jazz should be <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/11/utah-jazz-playoff-opponent-hopefuls/">crossing their fingers to fall in their path this spring</a>.</p>
<p>But who are the teams in the Western Conference that could derail Utah’s hopes of making the Conference Finals?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Load Management squad </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-81928 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2660,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1190710596.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="3200" height="2660" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1190710596.jpeg 3200w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1190710596-768x638.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Los Angeles Clippers</h3>
<p>The Utah Jazz have played pretty well against the Clippers this season if you ask me. They beat up on them early in the season when both <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/georgpa01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Paul George</a> and <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/leonaka01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Kawhi Leonard</a> were sitting.</p>
<p>They lost the next contest of the season series in Staples Center, but that game was close and looked very winnable if the Jazz would have played with more heart. The most recent contest between the two was the Jazz’s <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://thejnotes.com/2019/12/29/utah-jazz-statement-win-clippers/">most convincing win of the season</a>.</p>
<p>Boosted by the addition of <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/clarkjo01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Jordan Clarkson</a>, Utah’s bench went toe-to-toe with the Clippers bench that boasts two candidates for Sixth Man of the Year. <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mitchdo01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Donovan Mitchell</a> out-dueled Kawhi Leonard individually in the fourth quarter, and even threw down this poster dunk (7:42).</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/n441fTCioSY?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>So why are the Clippers part of this group of teams that intimidate Jazz nation? The answer is two words: <strong><em>Load Management</em></strong>.</p>
<p>Their star player Kawhi Leonard is the epitome of load management in the modern NBA. He was part of the group of Spurs players that started the trend back in 2014, and continued it to an extreme level in his only season in Toronto.</p>
<p>The result? Kawhi was the best player in the 2019 NBA playoffs by a long shot. He played 39 minutes a game throughout the postseason, and was able to minimize reigning MVP <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/antetgi01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Giannis Antetokounmpo</a> in the Eastern Conference Finals.</p>
<p>He carried the Raptors to a championship last June, and he’s a safe bet to do the same with the Clippers this year. When the playoffs come, Leonard is on another level.</p>
<p>In addition to this, the Clippers roster itself is yet to completely gel. Paul George, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/harremo01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Montrezl Harrell</a>, and <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willilo02.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Lou Williams</a> haven’t played a game with Leonard all that often this season. With their remaining schedule being soft, expect them to be scary come April.</p>
<p>Also don’t forget the addition of <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/morrima03.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Marcus Morris</a> at the trade deadline. If the Utah Jazz face the Clippers in the playoffs, it won’t be the same team they beat two months ago. I’d take the Clippers in six games over the Jazz.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Clutch City </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-81929 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1205171779.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1205171779.jpeg 1600w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1205171779-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz. James Harden, Houston Rockets. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Houston Rockets</h3>
<p>The Utah Jazz are all too familiar with this squad from Space City. In the past two seasons, the Jazz have stormed back from a slow start to finish the season as one of the league’s hottest teams. But what ended both of those seasons was no other than the Houston Rockets.</p>
<p>The Rockets’ defense swarmed Mitchell and gave him no room to go off offensively. In 2019 in particular, he got his teammates involved to try to help him, but their wide open shots refused to hit the bottom of the net.</p>
<p>This time around the Utah Jazz are a different team. They can rely on <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bogdabo02.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Bojan Bogdanovic</a> or Jordan Clarkson to get a bucket and take pressure off of Donovan Mitchell. The hope is that <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/conlemi01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Mike Conley</a> will be able to do the same in the coming weeks.</p>
<p>Houston can no longer zero in on one Jazz player to stop them from scoring. They have to worry about four guys that can shoot the lights out from long distance, as well as one of the best rim rollers in the game.</p>
<p>The only problem is that Daryl Morey has also <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/05/four-team-trade-utah-jazz/">shaken things up with his roster as well</a>. They traded <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/capelca01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Clint Capela</a> and <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hilarne01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Nenê</a> at the trade deadline – their only two reliable centers. They will play 6-foot-5 forward <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tuckepj01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">PJ Tucker</a> as their center the vast majority of the time.</p>
<p>They doubled down on the small ball lineups that made the Jazz <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://thejnotes.com/2020/01/27/game-thread-utah-jazz-defused-rockets/">clueless on defense a couple weeks ago</a>. They also opened up a lot more space for <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Russell Westbrook</a> to attack the paint. Unlike most NBA players, Russ doesn’t fear <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/goberru01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Rudy Gobert</a> when the two meet at the rim.</p>
<p>In fact, Westbrook’s percentage at the rim versus Rudy Gobert makes Rudy <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://twitter.com/Itamar_17/status/1229165361435684864" target="_blank" rel="noopener">look like a below average NBA player</a>.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Russell Westbrook was quite amused when a reporter asked him how to contain Rudy Gobert: <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://t.co/PLP0FwEsWi">pic.twitter.com/PLP0FwEsWi
<p>— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/823612953152786433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>January 23, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>These small ball lineups and constant harassment of Westbrook going at Gobert will make the Rockets a team the Jazz wish to avoid during the playoffs. I realize the Jazz beat the Rockets on their home floor just a week ago off <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/10/bojan-bogdanovic-buries-winner-2-utah-jazz/">an exciting buzzer beater</a>.</p>
<p>But the reality is if Bogey’s shot was altered by just a couple of inches we would be looking at a tough loss and tiebreaker gone down the drain to Houston.</p>
<p>If <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardeja01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">James Harden</a> shot anywhere close to his normal averages from the three point line (he shot 2 of 13 in the last game against the Jazz), that narrow one point win could have easily been a 10 point loss.</p>
<p>I’d have to pick the Rockets to win a series in seven games against the Jazz.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Hollywood Show </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-80597 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1186528115.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1186528115.jpeg 3200w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1186528115-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers. Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah Jazz. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Los Angeles Lakers</h3>
<p>Last but certainly not least, the Los Angeles Lakers are <em>the team</em> the Jazz should try to avoid for as long as possible.</p>
<p>When the Jazz chose to clear <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/favorde01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Derrick Favors</a>‘ salary last summer in order to sign Bojan Bogdanovic, they gave up a lot of size on the roster. <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/davised01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Ed Davis</a> was signed as the replacement backup center, but his minutes haven’t been ideal for the Jazz this season.</p>
<p>This means for the vast majority of the time, Rudy Gobert is the only big on the floor for the Utah Jazz. This is exactly what the Jazz wanted coming into this season, playing a true four-out offense that can torch any opponent from the 3 point line.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">LeBron James sounds off, and other takeaways from Wednesday's loss' via <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://twitter.com/TheJNotes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@TheJNotes
https://t.co/lY37WEx8DK
<p>— Caleb Manser (@CjChaze) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://twitter.com/CjChaze/status/1202986536930701312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>December 6, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>On defense, the Jazz can usually survive thanks to the sheer dominance of Gobert in the paint. But when bigger opponents roll into town – specifically a team donning purple and gold – the Jazz’s small lineups struggle defensively.</p>
<p>The Lakers play 6-foot-10 <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/davisan02.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Anthony Davis</a> as their power forward, with either <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mcgeeja01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">JaVale McGee</a> or <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howardw01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Dwight Howard</a> as the center. The question is who do you want Rudy Gobert guarding in those lineups?</p>
<p>You could stick him on Anthony Davis, but that would pull Rudy out of the paint more often than we’d like. None of Gobert’s teammates, with all due respect, can put up a good fight against Howard and McGee when they catch a lob in the post.</p>
<p>You could have Gobert guard McGee/Howard, which is how it played out in the two meetings this season. When that happens, who is supposed to stop Anthony Davis from dropping 30? <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealro01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Royce O’Neale</a> is an adequate defender to put on <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">LeBron James</a>, but other than that there’s a whole lot of uncertainty of who is supposed to guard whom.</p>
<p>There are two more games against the Lakers left on the schedule for this season, and it will be interesting to see if Quin Snyder experiments with the lineups in that game to see what works. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mike Conley play mostly with the second unit in order to maintain as much defensive integrity as possible.</p>
<p>Who knows? Maybe Snyder will pull <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tuckera01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Rayjon Tucker</a> and <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/morgaju01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Juwan Morgan</a> out of the cupboard for more minutes than usual to throw something different against the Lakers and see if it works.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Utah hopes to finish season as West's second best" data-url="https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/18/utah-jazz-hope-wests-second-best/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/19/utah-jazz-bad-playoff-opponents/"https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/18/utah-jazz-hope-wests-second-best/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Utah hopes to finish season as West's second best </a> </div>
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<p>If these two teams met in the playoffs, I’d have to pick the Lakers in a quick five game series. Anything more would be going against my conscience and basketball knowledge.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">