Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series: What would a playoff series between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder look like?
SALT LAKE CITY — If the NBA season is over but the playoffs are still on the table, based on current seeding, the Utah Jazz would face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round.
It’s a matchup that would not only have a dozen perfect storylines built in but would also be one of the most exciting series in the first round of the playoffs.
Over the past few days, I’ve rolled along with the hypothetical playoff pairing and looked at what the Jazz would be facing on both offense and defense. So, now it’s time to look at some of the storylines, tie up some loose ends, sift through some miscellaneous notes and make a prediction.
You can’t make this stuff up …
The Jazz were in Oklahoma City, moments away from tipping off against the Thunder — a potential playoff opponent — when Rudy Gobert’s positive COVID-19 test result became the first domino to fall in the NBA shutting down.
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, the Jazz and the Thunder are going to always be linked to the NBA suspending its season and the impact of the coronavirus on the league.
You can’t make this stuff up. The Jazz and Thunder opened the season against one another on Oct. 23, 2019, split the two games played at Vivint Arena, and were never able to play in OKC, which became ground zero for the NBA’s response to Gobert being the first player to test positive for the virus.
Of course, all of that doesn’t even include the Jazz’s history against the Thunder or their veteran All-Star Chris Paul.
Paul and James Harden led the Houston Rockets past the Jazz in the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs, and it was just two years ago that the Jazz beat the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs only to be knocked out in the second round by the Rockets. It was Paul who led that Rockets team with 41 points in the series-ending Game 5 victory over the Jazz.
The previous year in 2017, it was the Utah Jazz that upset the Los Angeles Clippers, who were led by — you guessed it — Paul in the opening round of the playoffs.
Paul’s success with the Thunder and their positioning in the Western Conference has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2019-20 season. After the Thunder traded Paul George to the Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and draft picks, they turned around and traded Russell Westbrook to the Rockets in exchange for Paul and future assets. The belief was that the Thunder would move Paul before the February trade deadline and continue to stockpile draft picks in preparation for the future.
Instead, Paul stayed in OKC, Gilgeous-Alexander became an incredibly dynamic second option, Gallinari thrived, Dennis Schroder had his most efficient and productive season as the leading Sixth Man of the Year candidate, and their young talent developed into useful role players. All the while, the team is still positioned beautifully for the future with their mountain of draft picks.
All of these things could potentially culminate with the Jazz breathing a sigh of relief by avoiding having to face the Rockets once again in the postseason, only turn around and have Paul and the Thunder standing in their way, waiting for revenge.
Loose ends and miscellaneous
Luguentz Dort was one of the most pleasant surprises for the Thunder this season, but his contract makes things a little tricky considering the current situation.
Dort is an undrafted rookie who was signed to a two-way contract with the Thunder last summer. The end of the regular season was scheduled for April 15, which was the last day that two-way contracts could be converted to full NBA contracts in order for those players to be available for postseason play.
Although Dort had only played in 29 NBA games by the time the NBA shut down (the Dec. 9 game against the Jazz was only his third NBA appearance), he quickly earned a starting role and became OKC’s most reliable wing defender. Part of that is due to injury trouble and development setbacks with other players on the Thunder roster, but part of it is also the fact that Dort is a diamond in the rough.
If the NBA cancels the rest of the regular season and moves straight into the playoffs, Dort’s only chance at being a part of a playoff roster would be to hope that the NBA allows some time to make pre-playoff roster moves.
Another interesting miscellaneous tidbit is that both of the regular season contests between the Thunder and Jazz were in Salt Lake City. The Thunder could raise concerns about opening up a playoff series against the Jazz, who would have home-court advantage as the fourth seed, without ever having played a game in OKC.
Home-court advantage won’t make a difference if the games are played at a neutral site or without fans, but if the return to play happens in the home markets of teams, it’s something to think about.
Prediction
The Jazz vs. Thunder would be a fantastic first-round matchup, not only because of all the narratives surrounding the teams but also because of how closely positioned they are to go at one another.
Home-court could give the Jazz an advantage against the Thunder, but that’s not something that’s guaranteed with all of the unknowns swirling about.
This series would also be exciting from a coaching standpoint since neither team has been whole or healthy in either of their meetings earlier in the season. The decisions that Billy Donovan and Quin Snyder make would be fascinating and examined with a critical eye throughout the series.
Everything considered, this series really could go either way, but I think that 3-point shooting and perimeter defense will end up being the most important pieces, giving the Jazz a slight edge over the Thunder.
My prediction: Jazz win in seven.