Any long-time Karl Malone fan can appreciate the occasional switch to third person.
Paul George had such a moment on Saturday, as he explained to Oklahoma City media the difference between his regular season self and “Playoff P,” the chosen name of his postseason persona.
“Y’all haven’t met Playoff P yet, huh?” he said. “Man, it’s a fun guy to watch. It’s an out-of-body person where I just lock in and put myself into a different zone.”
The Thunder swingman brought up “Playoff P” when talking about guarding Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell, who was primarily marked by Andre Roberson in the teams’ regular season meetings. With Roberson out for the rest of the season, it will fall to George to guard Mitchell, and George said he’s used to having that duty come playoff time.
As for Mitchell, in his first playoffs, does he have a “Playoff P” version of himself? That’s not how he’s looking at it.
“Just going through it for the first time, it’s just staying under control, staying relaxed, not really saying, ‘Alright, it’s playoff time, let’s turn it up even more,’” Mitchell said. “I think that’s when you start to lose myself and start to play outside of my game. So just staying calm and staying relaxed will be the biggest thing for me.”
In that spirit, Mitchell said he’s not changing much about his routine. He’s still going to watch film interspersed with Netflix (although film will take a bigger role), and he’s trying not to push himself to do more than he did in the regular season.
That being said, there is a buzzing intensity in Utah’s last two practices, and he has felt it especially from the coaching staff.
“They put a lot of hard work into it, they were here a long time yesterday preparing, and even on our off day; we’re excited,” Mitchell said. “You can just feel the energy from our coaches. When they guard us, they’re a little bit more amped up and excited.”
As far as facing George, Mitchell knows there’s a tough road ahead. At 6-foot-9, George will be able to provide the length that Mitchell has often struggled against this season.
“Paul is one of the [best], if not the best two-way player in the NBA,” Mitchell said. “I gotta be able to attack him and not really wait for him to attack me.”
Melo remembers being in Mitchell’s shoes
One of Mitchell’s many achievements in a memorable rookie season has been leading the Jazz in scoring (20.5 ppg) on the run to the playoffs. The last rookie to do that was Carmelo Anthony — who also just happens to be playing in this series.
Oklahoma City media asked the 33-year-old forward this week to reflect on when he led the Denver Nuggets in scoring (21.0 ppg) back into the 2004 NBA playoffs. The team went on to be swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“First game of the playoffs was a different feeling,” he said. “It’s a different emotion that you play with, that you have. You kind of put everything into kind of perspective.”
JAZZ VS. THUNDER<br>Game 1 • Jazz at Thunder, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, TNT<br>Game 2 • Jazz at Thunder, 6 p.m. Wednesday, NBA TV<br>Game 3 • Thunder at Jazz, 8 p.m. April 21, ESPN<br>Game 4 • Thunder at Jazz, 8:30 p.m. April 23, TNT<br>Game 5 (if necessary) • Jazz at Thunder, TBD April 25<br>Game 6 (if necessary) • Thunder at Jazz, TBD April 27<br>Game 7 (if necessary) • Jazz at Thunder, TBD April 29
Anthony said the most distinct thing he remembers about the season — in which he was runner-up for Rookie of the Year to Lebron James — was the different gears players turned on as the season progressed.
“I get to after the All-Star Break and it’s a totally different game,” he said. “And then playoffs come and it’s like a whole other level. So it was different levels to that season, my rookie season, that I will always remember that guys just turned it on at different parts of the season.”
Gobert ready to defend the boards
Expect a big battle in the paint come Sunday: Rudy Gobert and Steven Adams have grown into two of the NBA’s best centers.
Gobert called Adams a “smart player” with good hands and a physical attitude. The New Zealander has averaged 13.9 ppg and 9.0 rpg while showing up on Most Improved Player ballots across the NBA. But the biggest thing to worry about might just be his rebounding: He’s come down with an NBA-leading 5.1 offensive boards per game.
Utah was the fourth-best defensive rebounding team in the NBA during the regular season by percentage (79.8 percent), while the Thunder were the top offensive rebounding team in the league (27.7 percent). Gobert said while Adams is one to watch, the Jazz will be concerned about more than just him.
“It’s important to keep all of them [off the glass],” he said. “He’s the main guy, but they’re a very good rebounding team, and in basketball, if you want to get stops, you have to get the rebound. We have to do that.”
