NBA Playoffs: 5 things we learned from the Warriors sweep of the Jazz

NBA Playoffs 2017: 5 things we learned from the Warriors sweep of the Jazz

May 6, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrate after Durant scores against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter in game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports /

2 of 5

May 8, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) pats Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) on the back during the final minutes against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Utah’s bench play was miserable

No matter how top-heavy a team is, it takes every single player on the roster in order to contribute to a championship. Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert are the driving forces of this team, but if the supporting role players don’t step up, the Jazz don’t have a chance

That’s exactly what general manager Dennis Lindsey addressed in the offseason. He went out and added Boris Diaw, Joe Johnson and George Hill to support their young and coming stars. On paper, it looked fantastic as the Jazz had a roster littered with veterans who had postseason experience. During the regular season, Utah’s bench was ranked No. 21 in the NBA for scoring, only adding 32.9 points per game.

In the first round of the playoffs against the Clippers, Utah’s bench seemed to be a strength of the team. Joe Johnson looked spry and was coming up clutch in the fourth quarter. Derrick Favors stepped in for Gobert and didn’t miss a beat offensively. Rodney Hood didn’t seem to shy away from the moment. In the opening round, Johnson, Favors and Hood combined for 36.1 points, which topped their bench scoring from the regular season.

Heading into the next round against the Warriors, the confidence around their bench play was sky-high. If their stars could ball out and their supporting cast played like they did in the previous round, the Jazz could easily steal a game or two at home. The stars, Hayward and Gobert, showed up, but unfortunately the supporting cast was MIA.

In all of the games, there were moments where the Jazz needed their role players to step up and make plays, but time and time again they were not to be found. Johnson, Hood and Favors combined for 16.6 points per game in this series and that lack of production wasn’t going to be nearly enough to beat the Warriors.

This will be an area of emphasis for the Jazz heading into the offseason, as adding quality depth will make them an even stronger squad. Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert were phenomenal during this second-round series and if their bench showed up in any one of the games, they might have avoided the sweep.

Home/NBA Playoffs