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1 player the Lakers can expose on each West contender in playoffs

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts to a play during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 04, 2021 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. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts to a play during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 04, 2021 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. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Utah Jazz: Jordan Clarkson

The Utah Jazz have been a great regular-season team but regular-season wins don’t mean everything in the NBA Playoffs. Basketball is different in the playoffs and the Jazz are not as big of a threat as other teams on this list.

This year’s Jazz team reminds me a lot of the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were great in the regular season and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but everyone knew they stood no chance against LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers (they were swept).

The Western Conference this year makes that year’s Eastern Conference look like high school basketball. It would not be surprising if Utah does not even get that far.

When it comes down to it, and the game is on the line, there are seven players just from teams in this article that I trust more in crunchtime than Donovan Mitchell. That matters in the playoffs.

The player to really target is Jordan Clarkson and he is not the only one. If anything, he is the figurehead of the problem that the Jazz will have in the playoffs that Jazz fans do not want to talk about.

The Jazz have one-way role players. Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic have been great offensively for the Jazz but are both well below-average defensive players. Both players play significant minutes and that its a problem for the Jazz.

Well-coached teams with stars and depth, like the Lakers, are going to expose that. One-way offensive role players are a death sentence if used too much in the NBA Playoffs and the Jazz are going to be forced to use them significantly. That is the entire reason why the Clippers were willing to trade Lou Williams.

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Bogdanovic is fourth in minutes played this season while Clarkson is sixth. Their offense, especially in the playoffs against a great defensive team like the Lakers, is not guaranteed. What is guaranteed is that the Lakers can expose their defensive shortcomings.

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