Utah Jazz vs LA Lakers prediction and combined starting 5 - April 17th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The LA Lakers will host the Utah Jazz on April 17th after receiving great news about NBA superstar Anthony Davis' injury status. The power forward was cleared for full on-court activity on April 15th, and his return could take place in a few days.
The LA Lakers have missed Davis since February 14th, and LeBron James has also been out since March 20th. The duo's absence has pushed the team down to fifth place in the Western Conference.
The Utah Jazz, on the other hand, still hold the best record in the 2020-21 NBA season, at 42-12. However, they lost Donovan Mitchell with an apparent ankle issue during the team's recent win over the Indiana Pacers.
The upcoming game will be the second encounter between the LA Lakers and the Utah Jazz in the 2020-21 NBA season. Their third matchup will take place on April 19th.
On February 24th, the Utah Jazz defeated the LA Lakers by 25 points at home, as the latter were already playing without Anthony Davis.
Utah Jazz vs LA Lakers prediction
It is difficult to analyze this game when both the LA Lakers and the Utah Jazz will be playing without their best performers. Having said that, the Jazz should still be slight favorites over Frank Vogel's shorthanded team.
It should be noted that the LA Lakers have managed to maintain an elite defense during their run without James and Davis. They will still be a handful for the Utah Jazz, especially considering the fact that Quin Snyder's team is playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Since March 21st, a day after LeBron James' ankle injury, the LA Lakers have had the fourth-best Defensive Rating in the entire league. However, their offense has struggled.
The Utah Jazz, on the other hand, rank third in Offensive Rating and fourth in Defensive Rating overall.
Utah Jazz vs LA Lakers combined starting 5
Point Guard - Mike Conley | Shooting Guard - Jordan Clarkson | Small Forward - Kyle Kuzma | Power Forward - Montrezl Harrell | Center - Rudy Gobert.
In a year when he made it to his first All-Star Game, veteran point guard Mike Conley is enjoying a great season with the Utah Jazz, both individually and collectively. He is averaging 16.5 points and 5.6 assists per game for the Utah Jazz and has also been efficient from the floor, with 45/42/86 shooting splits.
Another great performer on the Utah Jazz's backcourt is Jordan Clarkson, who is also a strong candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award. The 28-year-old is putting up 17.2 points off the bench. He has also made 42% of his field goals, 35% of his three-pointers, and a league-leading 95.5% from the free-throw mark.
Forwards Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell have taken bigger roles in the absence of the LA Lakers' two superstars.
Before Davis's injury, Kuzma averaged 24 minutes and 11 points per game. Since the star power forward picked up his injury, Kuzma has averaged 15 points and seven rebounds per game.
Harrell, who is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has been solid for the LA Lakers this season. He has played in each of the LA Lakers' 56 games so far and has put up 14 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, with a 62% field-goal percentage.
Rudy Gobert is definitely the main performer for the Utah Jazz. He is averaging 14.4 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game in the current season. He is also second in the NBA in Defensive Rating and is the league leader in Defensive Win Shares.
Also read: Best starting 5 of NBA players aged 25 or under