Mike Conley's hamstring could pose an issue for the Utah Jazz in their series with the Los Angeles Clippers, making Bojan Bogdanovic's importance absolutely paramount.
Conley is set to miss Game 1 on Tuesday after aggravating a hamstring issue that forced him to miss time at the end of the regular season. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said the injury is “hard to predict.”
Jazz coach Quin Snyder on Mike Conley: “Hopefully we get him back as quickly as possibly. But this is hard to predict.
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 8, 2021
The Jazz face the very real possibility of playing the first few games without Conley on the floor. Bogdanovic will need to elevate his play against the Clippers, just as he did when both Conley and Donovan Mitchell were sidelined at the end of the regular season.
Bogdanovic was nothing short of elite during that aforementioned stretch. He averaged 25.1 points over the course of the last 11 regular-season games, most of which came without either Conley or Mitchell on the floor. The 32-year-old shot 51.6 percent from the floor during that stretch, including 43.1 percent from beyond the arc. Most importantly, the Jazz kept winning.
Utah went 7-2 in its final nine games in May, staving off the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the Western Conference. The Jazz continued that momentum in their first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, rebounding from a loss in Game 1 to win each of the next four games. Bogdanovic was stellar, making an impact as a shooter and on the glass.
However, the Jazz will need the veteran swingman to do even more against the Clippers.
Conley initiated a lot of Utah's pick-and-roll action and was terrific in terms of getting into the lane and making plays for teammates. That figured to be imperative for the Jazz in dissecting the Clippers, who previously struggled to keep Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic out of the painted area.
Bogdanovic is quietly excellent in terms of his slashing ability and scoring around the rim, but might need to do more in the playmaking department especially if the Jazz hope to exploit L.A. with a continued barrage of three-point shooting. That would also take a good deal of the pressure off Donovan Mitchell who, though he excelled last round, is still pretty fresh off a lengthy absence with that ankle injury.
It is vital the Jazz get off on the right foot and not immediately cede the home-court advantage to a battle-tested Clippers team. Utah could have its hands full, but Bogdanovic has already shown he is capable of rising to the occasion. He will have to do just that in Conley's absence.
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