NBA Playoffs 2017: 5 things we learned from the Jazz beating the Clippers
By Connor Learn
The Jazz defeated the Clippers 103-91 on Sunday afternoon to earn a first round series win. Utah won three games in the Staples Center en route to defeating Los Angeles in seven games.
Utah grabbed Game 1 of the series despite losing Rudy Gobert at the beginning of the game. Los Angeles took Games 2-3 but lost Blake Griffin midway through Game 3. Gobert returned for Game 4 and helped lead the Jazz to wins in Games 4 and 5. The Clippers took a stand in Game 6 in Salt Lake City and brought the series home for a Game 7.
Seven different Jazz players finished with double-digit scoring in their decisive Game 7 victory. They were up 21 points at one point, before a late Los Angeles run cut into the lead. Chris Paul delivered his worst game of the series and DeAndre Jordan shot 6-of-15 from the line in the Clippers loss. Utah moves on to challenge Golden State while Los Angeles faces a summer of questions ahead.
This was the only series to go to seven games in the first round, as well as the only upset that took place in the first round. There was a lot of closely fought basketball played, and a lot of lessons were learned as a result. Here are the five biggest:
5. Gordon Hayward is a franchise player
Gordon Hayward has steadily improved over the course of his career. The former Butler Bulldog was selected ninth overall by the Jazz in 2010 and earned a starting role during his second season. He was averaging 16.2 points per game by the end of his rookie deal and signed a four-year extension worth $63 million dollars at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season. Many criticized the deal at the time and most agreed that Hayward would have to continue improving for the deal to be worth it.
Fast forward three seasons and a salary cap explosion and Hayward is now underpaid on that deal. He set career highs for scoring, with 21.9 points per game and for rebounding, with 5.4. Hayward set career highs for shooting across the board as well. His numbers are strikingly similar to those posted by Paul George this season. The skinny 20-year-old that entered the league is now filling in at power forward in the right lineups and rebounding at a decent clip. His more muscular frame has made him a solid defender as well. Hayward deserved to be an All-Star this season.
Hayward has became a foundational offensive piece. He averaged 27.1 points per game this series, outside of the one he left early with food poisoning, and chipped in 8.1 rebounds as well. While there was some inconsistencies with their secondary scorers, Hayward was solid this series. The Jazz looked doomed once Rudy Gobert went down and his presence that kept the team going. He is a star in this league deserving of a max deal and now more people believe in him after this performance. Utah will look to lock him up as long as possible and no one will question them doing so this time.