Sometimes they could bring a team together.

Remember back in 2010, when LeBron first got to Miami and the start of the season was kind of a mess, with the Big Three struggling to fit Erik Spoelstra facing daily questions about whether he'd be fired, the team held the players only meeting, reeled off a 12 game win streak and became the powerhouse that would go on to win two titles in four years.

But winning streaks can also end up meaning not much.

Last year's Bucks won 18 straight on Lee to get thumped in the second round of the playoffs.

Back in, 08 the Rockets, 1 22 in a row, then lost in the first round.

So how should we look at the Clippers and Jazz right now?

L.

A.

Is on a seven game win streak, a run fueled by Paul George playing some of the best basketball of his career, and by Kawhi Leonard, who is not only shown up for the Clippers but is doing it consistently.

This current Clipper streak includes quiet first back to back games in nearly four years, quite has also done what big stars they're supposed to dio like yesterday, when much of the team appeared, it hadn't quite woken up yet.

For the early Sunday afternoon tip, Leonard took things into his own enormous hands, outscoring the entire Thunder starting lineup in the first quarter and finishing with 34 9 and eight.

To me, everything the Clippers do this regular season is important.

Since last year, we saw what happened when the team tried to skip steps.

This time, they're giving themselves a much stronger foundation.

But will the result be any different?

Yeah, we don't know yet.

As for the Jazz, well there on an eight game winning streak right now, one of the league's top five both offensively and defensively.

Nearly all their wins so far this season have come by double digits, and Donovan Mitchell has clearly hit the gas pedal during this streak, putting up 27 a game.

So what does Utah streak mean?

According to Steve Kerr?

Ah, lot this weekend, the Warriors coach said of Utah quote.

They're trying to win a championship right now, and I think they're capable of doing so.

You know they are where we were three or four years ago, which is, well, quite the comparison.

Three or four years ago, Golden State had Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all playing at the height of their powers on a team that was itself drawing comparisons to the 98 bulbs.

I'm not sure that I think Utah's winning streak already puts them in that category, and it's important to remember that just last season, the Jazz had a 10 game win streak and still lost in the first round.

Still, both the Jazz and the Clippers runs.

They sure feel like something significant, and neither is over yet.

So, Vince, let's start with you.

Who do you feel is the second best team in the West right now, giving some deference to the defending champion Lakers?

Do you feel the Clippers flood in as their biggest rival in the West or the Jazz?

Given what you've seen this past week or two, I mean, the dads are playing great basketball, and, like you said, like you said, they're on a mission.

But I still think the Clippers are hungry and they're also on a mission.

They're trying to get to that Western Conference finals again because they felt like, oh, not again, but to get what they should have been last year because they felt like they let the opportunity slip away.

So I think they're hungry and they're playing great basketball as well.

So I still give the edge to the Clippers.

Even though you asked me this in maybe two weeks, it could be the Utah Jazz if they continue to play like they're playing.

Yeah, I think the Clippers have a higher ceiling because they have guys on their roster who Quiet has been a finals M V P a couple of times.

But the one thing about these two teams that you have to pay attention to, it's 2021 3 point shooting.

The Clippers are number one in the league and three point shooting percentage.

The Jazz air number two, the Jazz air number one and overall, three pointers made per game.

That's what Steve Kerr is talking about.

Rachel he's talking about.

It reminds him of a team that plays good defensively and also overwhelms the opponent with high volume three point shooting.

Now the Clippers defense, at the start of this win streak, was ranked in the bottom five in the league, they played better, and now they've trawled into the top 15.

So the Jazz were playing more consistently on defense, and that's something that matters.

Look, mid February.

I think it's February 12th and 13th.

Somewhere around Valentine's Day, the Jazz go to L.

A and play a little to pack of games against the Clippers and Lakers.

That will be a good referendum, something look forward to very, very interesting.

But they're fun, fun teams to watch right now, and it's pretty fun watching Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and Jordan, Clarkson and everybody on that squad.

Really, You can see them learning what they are right now, and that's really fun as well.

Toe watch a team figuring out just how much firepower it has.

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