POINT GUARD: Chris Paul is one of the best point guards on the planet and he’s a big game player. Paul played in 7 games (all starts) for the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 38.9 minutes, 20.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

Tony Parker is also a big time, big game player, so it’s going to be fascinating to watch these two point guards duke it out in this series. Parker played in 4 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 32.8 minutes, 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.

EDGE: EVEN

SHOOTING GUARD: Randy Foye did a solid job for the Clippers after Chauncey Billups went down to injury earlier this year. He played in 7 games (all starts) for the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 26.4 minutes, 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. The Clippers are going to need Foye to step up in this series.

Daniel Green came literally out of nowhere this year to earn big time P.T. for the Spurs in 2011-12. Green played in 4 games (all starts) for the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 24.5 minutes, 8.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.0 blocked shot per game.

EDGE: EVEN

SMALL FORWARD: Caron Butler is a warrior. He is playing with a broken left hand, that only caused him to miss one game. Tale about tough guys. Butler played in 6 games (all starts) for the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 27.0 minutes, 9.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

Rookie Kawhi Leonard had a solid first year in the league and he looked solid in the first round of the playoffs. Leonard played in 4 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 20.0 minutes, 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

EDGE: SLIGHT FOR CLIPPERS

POWER FORWARD: Blake Griffin needs to step up in this series if the Clippers are going to pull the upset. Griffin played in 7 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 35.4 minutes, 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

Boris Diaw started in the first round of the playoffs at power forward. Diaw played in 4 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 24.0 minutes, 5.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He will be at a size disadvantage in this series.

EDGE: HUGE FOR CLIPPERS

CENTER: DeAndre Jordan’s game is defense rebounding. But, he didn’t play too well in the first round of the playoffs. Jordan played in 7 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 21.6 minutes, 3.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game. The Clippers need Jordan to step up in this series.

Tim Duncan moved to center in the first round of the playoffs for the Spurs and he played well there. Duncan played in 4 games (all starts) for the Spurs last year and he averaged 30.3 minutes, 14.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.8 blocked shots per game.

EDGE: SPURS

BENCH: The Clippers have a very versatile and deep bench. PG/SG Mo Williams is an offensive force off the bench for the Clippers. He played in 7 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 21.4 minutes, 9.7 points, 0.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. SG/SF Nick Young also comes off of the bench shooting the rock. Young played in 7 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 19.3 minutes, 8.1 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.3 assists per game. Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans provide muscle off the bench for the Clippers. Martin played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 18.4 minutes, 4.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game. Reggie Evans played in 7 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 22.3 minutes, 3.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 0.1 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Eric Bledsoe has been giving Chris Paul a break here and there. He has played in 7 games (0 starts) so far in the playoffs and he is averaging 13.9 minutes, 5.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Bobby Simmons only played in 1 game in the first round of the playoffs, as he started in place of Caron Butler. He scored 9 points and grabbed 1 rebound in 22 minutes in that game.

Manu Ginobili didn’t have to play much in the first round of the playoffs, but I look for that to change in this round. He played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 24.8 minutes, 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game. SG/SF Stephen Jackson is also going to bring instant offense off the bench for the Spurs in this series. Jackson played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 24.5 minutes, 10.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. DeJuan Blair will likely get to play more in this series than he did against the Jazz. Blair played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 11.5 minutes, 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. SG/PG Gary Neal also will bring offense off the bench for the Spurs in this game. Neal played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 13.0 minutes, 8.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Power forward Matt Bonner can really shoot for a big man. He played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 16.0 minutes, 4.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Center Tiago Splitter is going to help out with some muscle off the bench. Splitter played in 3 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 15.3 minutes, 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Patrick Mills could also help out off the bench. He played in 3 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 5.7 minutes, 3.0 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.

EDGE: EVEN

COACHING: 45-year old head coach Vinny Del Negro did a solid job in the first round of the playoffs, getting his Clippers to prevail in 7 hard fought games. Del Negro is 8-11 (42.1%) in the post-season as a NBA head coach.

63-year old head coach Gregg Popovich is one of the better coaches in NBA history. He got his Spurs to make short work of the Jazz in four straight games in the first round of the playoffs. Popovich is now 112-73 (60.5%) in the playoffs in his NBA career and he has led the Spurs to four NBA Championships so far in his career.

PREDICTION: CLIPPERS IN SEVEN GAMES

POINT GUARD: 29-year old Devin Harris has played really well late this season and the Jazz need that to carry over into the playoffs. Harris played in 63 games (all starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 27.6 minutes, 11.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He has played in 38 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 21.1 minutes, 8.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

29-year old Tony Parker had probably the best season of his career in 2011-12 for the Spurs. He played in 60 games (all starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 32.1 minutes, 18.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Parker has played in 138 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 36.3 minutes, 18.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

EDGE: SPURS

SHOOTING GUARD: 22-year old Gordon Hayward took a big step forward in 2011-12 for the Jazz. He played in 66 games (58 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 30.5 minutes, 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. This will be Hayward’s first venture into the NBA Playoffs and the Jazz need him to be up for the challenge.

24-year old Daniel Green really played solid basketball for the Spurs this year. He played in 66 games (38 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 23.1 minutes, 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Green has played in 4 games in the playoffs so far in his career and he averaged 1.8 minutes, 1.3 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

EDGE: EVEN

SMALL FORWARD: 25-year old DeMarre Carroll will be the starting small forward for the Jazz in this series. He played in 20 games (9 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 16.4 minutes, 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. This will be his first playoff experience.

20-year old rookie Kawhi Leonard will likely be the Spurs’ starter at small forward in this series. Leonard played in 64 games (39 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 24.0 minutes, 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. I think Leonard will play pretty well in this series for the Spurs.

EDGE: SPURS

POWER FORWARD: 27-year old Paul Millsap is one of the most underrated power forwards in the NBA. He played in 64 games (62 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 32.8 minutes, 16.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Millsap has played in 44 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 21.6 minutes, 9.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.0 blocked shot per game.

36-year old Tim Duncan knows all of the tricks as he is one of the best big men in NBA history. Duncan played in 58 games (all starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 28.2 minutes, 15.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game. He played in 176 games in the playoffs in his NBA career and he is averaging 39.5 minutes, 22.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.6 blocked shots per game.

EDGE: SPURS

CENTER: 27-year old Al Jefferson has turned into one of the better centers in the NBA. Jefferson played in 61 games (all starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 34.0 minutes, 19.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 blocked shots per game. Jefferson has played in 7 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 19.4 minutes, 6.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game.

23-year old DeJuan Blair is a hard working player on both ends of the court. Blair played in 64 games (62 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 21.3 minutes, 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Blair has played in 14 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 10.1 minutes, 3.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

EDGE: JAZZ

BENCH: The Jazz have a pretty solid bench. 20-year old PF/C Derrick Favors will be the first big off the bench in this series. He played in 65 games (9 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 21.2 minutes, 8.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.0 blocked shot per game. This will be his first venture into the playoffs and the Jazz need him to play well in this series. 32-year old small forward Josh Howard will likely play more minutes than starter DeMarre Carroll. Howard played in 43 games (18 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 23.0 minutes, 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He has played in 62 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 33.1 minutes, 15.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game. 20-year old rookie shooting guard Alec Burks is going to come off the bench shooting the ball. Burks played in 59 games (0 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 15.9 minutes, 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. 19-year old rookie center Enes Kanter will give Al Jefferson a breather in this series when he needs one. Kanter played in 66 games (0 starts) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 13.2 minutes, 4.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. 34-year old Jamaal Tinsley will be backing up Devin Harris in this series. Tinsley played in 37 games (1 start) for the Jazz this year and he averaged 13.7 minutes, 3.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He has played in 37 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 25.6 minutes, 7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

The Spurs’ bench is brimming with talent. 34-year old shooting guard Manu Ginobili is going to be a force in this series for the Spurs. He played in 34 games (7 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 23.3 minutes, 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per ame. He has played in 122 games in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 31.4 minutes, 16.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. 27-year old small forward Stephen Jackson is also likely to get a lot of P.T. in this series. Jackson played in 21 games (0 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 23.8 minutes, 8.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Jackson has played in 58 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far this year and he is averaging 36.6 minutes, 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game. 27-year old center Tiago Splitter will share time at center with DeJuan Blair in this series. He played in 59 games (2 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 19.0 minutes, 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Splitter has played in 3 games in the playoffs in his young NBA career and he is averaging 16.7 minutes, 6.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game. 32-year old forward Matt Bonner will give Tim Duncan a rest once in a while in this series. Bonner played in 65 games (2 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 20.4 minutes, 6.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. He is the best long range shooter on the Spurs. 23-year old point guard Patrick Mills will back up Tony Parker in this series. Mills played in 16 games (3 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 16.3 minutes, 10.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Mills has played in 5 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 3.4 minutes, 1.2 points, 0.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. 27-year old guard Gary Neal will also get some P.T. in this series. He played in 56 games (7 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 21.5 minutes, 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Neal has played in 6 games in the playoffs in his career so far and he is averaging 18.5 minutes, 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. 30-year old Boris Diaw can played anywhere on the court. He played in 20 games (7 starts) for the Spurs this year and he averaged 20.3 minutes, 4.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Diaw has played in 39 games in the playoffs in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 34.9 minutes, 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

EDGE: SPURS

COACHING: Tyrone Corbin coached up the Jazz as they finished up the season with a 36-30 (54.5%) record. This is his first venture into the playoffs as a head coach.

Gregg Popovich is one of the most successful head coaches in NBA history as he has already won 4 NBA Titles with the Spurs. The Spurs had the best record in the Western Conference as they finished with a 50-16 (75.8%) record, while at the same time resting players for the playoffs! Popovich is 108-73 (59.7%) in the playoffs as an NBA head coach.

EDGE: HUGE FOR THE SPURS

PREDICTION: SPURS IN SIX GAMES