Utah Jazz vs Golden State Warriors prediction and combined starting 5 - March 14th, 2021
The Utah Jazz, the best team in the 2020-21 NBA regular season, will visit the Golden State Warriors for an interesting Western Conference matchup.
Stephen Curry has a tall task in front of him to lead the Golden State Warriors to the NBA Playoffs, and the Utah Jazz is an opponent that they could even face in the first round of the postseason.
The match will be the second of the campaign between the two teams after the Utah Jazz beat the Golden State Warriors 127-108 on January 23rd at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
Quin Snyder's team has the best record in the NBA at 28-9. On the other hand, the Golden State Warriors sit in ninth place of the Western Conference with a 19-19 record and they will look to end their current four-game losing streak.
Utah Jazz vs Golden State Warriors prediction - March 14th, 2021
It would be smart to bet on the Utah Jazz beating the Golden State Warriors handsomely again, as the Jazz are the most consistent team out of these two and the most reliable. The Jazz have various options on offense and a strong defense (they are second in Defensive Rating in the entire NBA).
The Golden State Warriors rely totally on Stephen Curry's scoring and Draymond Green's ability to create plays for his teammates on offense. The team still ranks just 22nd in Offensive Rating. On the other end of the court, the Warriors are a solid squad, as they have the eighth-best defense in the NBA.
The Utah Jazz lost three of their four games before the All-Star break, but have bounced back after the All-Star break and defeated the lowly Houston Rockets soundly on March 12th.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors lost each game of their recent four-game road trip against the LA Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, and LA Lakers.
Even though the Warriors' recent losses were against good teams, the issue is that they did not compete in any of those matches and got blown out easily in those three games.
Utah Jazz vs Golden State Warriors combined starting 5 - March 14th, 2021
Stephen Curry is the key to the Golden State Warriors' success, and his absence could be the reason why the team falls out of postseason contention. The two-time MVP is having an extraordinary 2020-21 NBA season individually and has kept the team with chances to reach the NBA Playoffs, though the Golden State Warriors hit a rough patch lately.
Curry is averaging 29 points, five rebounds and six assists in the 2020-21 NBA season, with a 48/41/93 shooting split and a 24.9 Player Efficiency Rating (ninth in the NBA).
On the Utah Jazz backcourt, Mike Conley has been a stellar piece with his contribution and experience. The veteran, who earned his first All-Star Game appearance via invite, is averaging 16 points per game (third-highest on the team) and a team-high 5.6 assists per game in the 2020-21 NBA season with 45/42/83 shooting splits.
Donovan Mitchell has arguably been the Utah Jazz's best player since he stepped onto an NBA court in the 2017-18 season. In the 2020-21 campaign, Mitchell has put up a career-high 24.8 points per game with a 42/38/83 split, with five rebounds and five assists.
Draymond Green is the Golden State Warriors' main playmaker because he is unwilling to score before he helps his teammates get open shots.
Not only is Green leading the team in assists per game with an average of 8.4 (seventh-highest in the NBA), but he is also the team's best defender (he has the best Defensive Rating in the Golden State Warriors).
Though other centers are definitely performing at a unique level, such as Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert deserves credit for his efficient campaign and his great defense for the Jazz.
Gobert is averaging 14 points, 13 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game in the 2020-21 NBA season and is one of the strongest candidates for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, which he has already won twice in his career. Gobert leads the NBA in Defensive Rating with 101.3.
Also read: Utah Jazz vs Golden State Warriors: Injury Updates, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - March 14th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21