NBA Playoffs 2017: 5 keys to Warriors vs. Jazz matchup

Apr 10, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia (27) looks at Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) as he holds his eye after a play during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Jazz won 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 10, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) passes the ball to forward David West (3) against Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) and forward Joel Bolomboy (21) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Controlling the pace

This will be one of the more intriguing parts of the series, will the Jazz be able to control the pace and limit the number of possessions, or will the Warriors run up and down the floor? Two years ago in the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers had lost Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving and had to play a similar style as the Jazz, where LeBron James controlled the game beautifully to limit the number of possessions for the Warriors.

During the regular season, Golden State had the fourth-best pace at 102.2, while the Jazz ranked dead-last at 93.6. So during the season, the Jazz were averaging nearly nine possessions less per game than the Warriors.

If the Warriors are able to go small-ball and start running and controlling the tempo, it could spell major issues for Utah. On the other hand, if Utah is able to slow the game down, stay big, they could really cause some damage too.

It’ll be interesting to watch in Game 1, which team controls the tempo and style of the game. Will the Jazz be able to grit and grind it up or will the Warriors pace-and-space take over?

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