Clippers shoot down Jazz, not entirely safe though

After the latest Clippers win, the question becomes what their role will be in the playoffs.

Seeing the Clippers and Jazz in the playoffs is a likely scenario — assuming, of course, that neither team experiences a fallout.

Right now, health is the biggest factor for the Clippers. There’s no question that they can compete with anybody in the Western Conference, even Golden State, but they need to stay in peak shape to do that.

It is what brought Los Angeles crashing down in their first round clash with Portland last year. Blake Griffin has continued to be effective, but they’ll need Chris Paul to come back with a vengeance.

And at that, not lose a bounce in his step.

Where the Clippers got the best of the Jazz right away, even without Chris Paul, was in a mental edge. According to ESPN, Utah really failed to bring any sort of advantage in that part of the fight.

Los Angeles will need JJ Redick to be on fire as well. In order to win a best-of-seven series against the Jazz, it’s of utmost importance for the Clippers to be firing on all cylinders. In the midst of this, coaching strategies by Doc Rivers also come into play.

Timing, aggressiveness, and overall strategy will decide how early the Clippers exit this upcoming post-season.

The final nail in the coffin for the Clippers comes down to winning on the road. Sure, they’ll get the games at Staples Center, or at least have a favorable home court advantage. Winning games in Utah, though, will prepare them for the next round and beyond.

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If they stand any chance against the Warriors, that, if nothing else, is a must.