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The 1st-seeded Utah Jazz will take on the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2020-21 Western Conference NBA playoffs.
The Grizzlies eliminated Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors from playoff contention in the last play-in game to grab the 8th and final seed in the West.
The Utah Jazz led the regular-season standings for almost the entire season. They have shown dominance and grit from the get-go and have blown away teams emphatically. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is a 'Coach of the Year' finalist as he has turned the fortunes of the team around. The Utah Jazz are the only team in the league this season that is top five in both offensive and defensive rating.
Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies have snuck their way into the playoffs. Unfortunately, they will be up against a juggernaut, the Utah Jazz. The Grizzlies have impressed defensively this season, as they are sixth in the league in defensive rating. Ja Morant, who has been excellent all year, will get his first taste of NBA playoff action.
Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies Series Schedule
Game 1: Grizzlies at Jazz | Vivint Arena | Sunday, May 23rd, 9:30 PM ET.
Game 2: Grizzlies at Jazz | Vivint Arena | Wednesday, May 26th, 10:00 PM ET.
Game 3: Jazz at Grizzlies | FedExForum | Saturday, May 29th, 9:30 PM ET.
Game 4: Jazz at Grizzlies | FedExForum | Monday, May 31st, 9:30 PM ET.
Game 5*: Grizzlies at Jazz | Vivint Arena | Wednesday, June 2nd, TBD.
Game 6*: Jazz at Grizzlies | FedExForum | Friday, June 4th, TBD.
Game 7*: Grizzlies at Jazz | Vivint Arena | Sunday, June 6th, TBD.
* If necessary
Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies regular season head-to-head record
The Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies went head-to-head three times in one week in the regular season, with the Jazz emerging victorious on all three occasions.
The first matchup between the two teams saw the Jazz grab their 18th home victory of the season. Donovan Mitchell tallied 35 points, Rudy Gobert 25, while Bojan Bogdanovic contributed 17 to help the Jazz beat the Grizzlies 117-114. The Jazz had an early lead in the game before the Grizzlies rallied but came up short.
In the second game, the Utah Jazz were not as generous, blowing away the Grizzlies early on to scupper their opponents' chances of a comeback. The Utah Jazz surged to a 30-point lead at one point, with Mitchell dropping 35 points to lead his team to a 126-110 victory.
In the third game between the two teams, the Memphis Grizzlies turned up the heat on the Jazz. The game was a nail-biter that went down to the wire. Ja Morant dropped 36 points on 11-18 shooting, but unfortunately, that wasn't enough, as the Jazz won the game at the death. The Utah Jazz emerged victorious 111-107, despite Donovan Mitchell missing the game.
Going by their regular-season matchups, the Memphis Grizzlies appeared to have been outmatched by the Utah Jazz. The Jazz had several players who endured poor shooting nights in the three games, but that didn't matter, as the team found a way to win. The Grizzlies' defense fared well but failed to hold up against the high-volume three-point shooting of the Jazz.
Utah Jazz's strengths heading into the playoffs
The Utah Jazz have several strengths as they head into the playoffs. They were top five in both offensive (3rd) and defensive (4th) rating in the league this season.
They deploy an offensive system similar to the 2015 Golden State Warriors championship team. The Jazz exhibit constant ball movement around the perimeter, raining down threes and terrifying defenses with their spacing and shooting.
They finished first in the league in both three-point attempts and makes while shooting the fifth-best from beyond the arc as a team. The Jazz ranked first in rebounds, fifth in offensive boards and eighth in free-throw shooting.
Meanwhile, in defense, they were first in the league in assists and three-pointers allowed. Opponents shot the second-worst from the perimeter and overall against the Jazz during the regular season. The Utah Jazz were seventh in rebounds allowed and ninth in blocks, as they thrived in suffocating the opponent team while making the most of threes while allowing the fewest.
Memphis Grizzlies' strengths heading into the playoffs
The Memphis Grizzlies' biggest strength is their defense. They ranked sixth in defensive rating, as already mentioned above.
In their last play-in game against the Golden State Warriors, Dillon Brooks' defense on the 2021 NBA scoring champion Stephen Curry was the main highlight of their win.
The young Memphis Grizzlies team ranked first in the regular season in steals. They force turnovers with active hands and clog up passing lanes. It isn't easy to attempt a kick-out pass from the paint against this team, as they are always attentive at the defensive end of the court.
The young team also loves to push the offense up the court. They ranked eighth in the league in pace of play (100.4), capitalising on their opponents' lack of transition defense. Although offense isn't their strong suit, the Memphis Grizzlies ranked fourth in rebounds, second in offensive boards and fourth in assists. They attempted the second-highest field goals in the league and converted the seventh-most.
Utah Jazz's weaknesses heading into the playoffs
The Utah Jazz's main issue this season has been their lack of crunch time experience.
They tend to bank on blowing away teams early and haven't had to chase down leads. When the scores are close and the game is on the line, the Utah Jazz tend to mess up simple defensive assignments, and their shots stop falling.
In the 23-odd games that were close, the Jazz went 9-14. Their lack of playoff experience could be significant, as they are not favored to come out of the West despite being the top seed.
They were also plagued by injuries during the latter part of the regular season. Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley missed a bunch of games, and chemistry issues still linger as the Utah Jazz head into the playoffs.
Mitchell is still not available to play, but he was in practice on Thursday for the first time since he injured himself in mid-April. He is expected to play in Game 1 against the Grizzlies, but it remains to be seen if he can hit the ground running.
Memphis Grizzlies' weaknesses heading into the playoffs
Their inability to shoot three-pointer hurt the Memphis Grizzlies in a lot of regular-season games this season. They ranked 23rd in three-point attempts and 20th in 3P%. That could hurt them, especially against the Utah Jazz, who love shooting from the deep.
What makes this matchup a challenging one for the Grizzlies is that even though they are a great defensive team, they don't guard the perimeter well. The Memphis Grizzlies ranked 18th in the league in three-pointers allowed and opponent 3P%. They grab decent rebounds themselves but don't box out at the defensive end, which was evident in their rankings of 18th in rebounds allowed and 20th in defensive rebounds during the regular season.
Jonas Valanciunas has his work cut out as he will go up against DPOY candidate Rudy Gobert; he struggled in all three games against the Jazz.
Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies Series Prediction
The Utah Jazz are the obvious favorites to win this game. There have been just five 8th-seeded teams in the history of the NBA playoffs who have beaten the 1st-seed, but unfortunately, the Grizzlies aren't expected to become the sixth.
The Utah Jazz have been a well-balanced outfit throughout the season and are expected to dominate the Memphis Grizzlies. The Jazz's lack of playoff experience might hurt them for a game or two, which is why this series could go to five or six games.
The Grizzlies have a lot of heart and resilience, which should make for an enticing series. However, it remains to be seen how Ja Morant, who will be playing the first playoff game, fares.
Also Read: Why the Utah Jazz are destined for an early playoff exit despite an emphatic regular season | 2020-21 NBA Season.
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