All That Jazz

For May 7, there are only two games. It's nice to have to pick from a small pool only, and not over-think it.

The Spurs lead the series 3-0 over the Jazz, and they will be looking for a sweep. Although they are playing really good lately, they still have old legs. They will definitely benefit from a sweep and early rest until the semifinal round starts. For me there are only two prominent Jazz players worthy of a pick..

• Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Never mind that they both disappointed us the past two games. It is very unlikely that they will underperform the third straight time. If you have not picked either (I did already pick both), do not hesitate to pick Jefferson first, Millsap second. Note that some of you may be tempted to pick Devin Harris because he had a sweet Game 3 (21 points), but I would not recommend it. He is capable of such feats, but cannot be counted upon to be consistent.

The Clippers lead the series 2-1 over the Grizzlies, and will be playing at home. Chris Paul has shown leadership and has driven this team to perform well despite lacking the depth that the Grizzlies have. I expect them to win Game 4 and drive the Grizzlies to the edge of elimination. The Grizzlies have so many pick options; line them up..

• Rudy Gay -- Look at his stats the past three games (19, 21 and 24 points) and you'll find a nice pattern. He gets my pick for this date.

 

• Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo -- Both hit a snag back in Game 3, but they should be back in their usual form in Game 4. Both are capable of 20 to 25 PRA.
• Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph -- I miss their PRAs from the 2011 playoffs which were totally outwordly. Maybe the return of Rudy Gay has something to do with the reduced touches. The two bigs average about just 21 PRA but if they really assert themselves, they can get 30 PRA.