SALT LAKE CITY — The NBA playoffs are well underway, having wrapped up the first round over the weekend, with the second round now hopefully providing more competitive series.

While the large number of blowouts served for less-than-captivating television, a few trends emerged that could benefit the Jazz going forward, if their goals are to accomplish more in the playoffs than simply qualifying for the postseason.

1. Stars win series

For as numbers-driven as the modern NBA has become, with each team constantly looking for an edge in efficiency and effectiveness, one NBA trend never changes. Talent wins games, and for the most part, the team with the best player on the floor emerges victorious. Now, it’s fair to say that having home court advantage played as big a role as top-tier talent in the first round, as only the Portland Trail Blazers upset the higher seed in their first-round matchup, but elite talent revealed its importance as well.

Using ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus statistic, a measurement of a player’s overall contributions to a team, only three players in the model’s top 15 lost their first-round matchup. Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers fell to Portland, while Paul George of the Indiana Pacers fell to the Toronto Raptors.

Regarding the Pacers, the loss shouldn’t come as a surprise, according to ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus, as Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry ranked higher in its model, coming in at seventh compared to George’s ranking of 12.

While Chris Paul ranks fourth and DeAndre Jordan ranks 15th, once Paul went down in the same game as fellow Clippers All-Star Blake Griffin, Portland’s now superior talent emerged. Outside of Jordan, and little-used Cole Aldrich, the Clippers had no healthy players on their roster that qualified as top 100 players, while Portland featured five.

What can the Jazz learn?

That a lack of top overall talent may come back to haunt them, even if they do qualify for the playoffs next season. The Jazz's highest-ranking player is Gordon Hayward at 31. Of the 16 teams that qualified, only Detroit, Memphis, Miami, Dallas and Portland had a top player with a lower overall Real Plus-Minus ranking than Hayward. Of those teams, only Portland and Miami advanced. Portland advanced due to injuries, Miami advanced on the back of 12 time All-Star Dwyane Wade.

How do the Jazz get there?

Either by adding a star in free agency, which historically looks like a long shot for the Jazz, or hope Hayward, Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors or Rodney Hood jumps into the top 15.

2. Playoff droughts are not to be feared

The best indicator for playoff success is, for lack of a better term, playoff success. Of the last 10 NBA champions, no team has failed to make the playoffs the following year defending its crown.

However, just because winning begets winning, it doesn’t necessarily mean losing has the same effect. Of the 16 playoff qualifiers, 11 teams have experienced or been in the midst of playoff droughts of three seasons or more in the last decade. The Jazz currently sit at four.

Of the postseason players, San Antonio, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and Boston have had sustained playoff success over the last 10 years, though it is worth noting of that group only Atlanta has failed to win a championship during the period.

What can the Jazz learn?

Though it may feel like the Jazz are slipping into irrelevancy, the same could be said about 11 of 16 teams in the playoffs this season over the last decade, and they found a way to find success this year. Recent shortfalls may not indicate future success.

However, the Jazz currently have the fourth-longest playoff drought in the NBA, trailing only Minnesota, Sacramento and Phoenix. They’re tied with Orlando and Philadelphia at four years without a playoff appearance. Of lists to be on in the NBA, finding yourself alongside Minnesota, Sacramento, Phoenix, Orlando and Philadelphia has to scare fans just a little bit.

3. When it doubt, make the playoffs

This one may seem obvious, but with the NBA’s recent obsession with rookie-controlled contracts and high valuation of first-round picks, specifically in the lottery, making the playoffs seems to be losing its luster.

While I just argued that playoff droughts aren’t to be feared, the advantage of making the playoffs is on clear display in Portland right now. The Blazers edged the Jazz by just four games this season and have been rewarded with an injury-riddled Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and a Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors in the second.

By getting past the Clippers and with a huge amount of cap space this summer, Portland looks like the premiere destination for free agents wanting a big payday and an opportunity to win.

While the odds of finding yourself in the Blazers' position, facing two injury-riddled teams in two rounds, is relatively small, it’s not entirely unheard of.

Whether it’s the injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving last year that allowed the Warriors to win a finals series over the Cleveland Cavaliers, or Oklahoma City Thunder losing Russell Westbrook to a torn meniscus in 2013, and Serge Ibaka to a calf injury in 2014, or the Bulls losing Derrick Rose to a torn ACL in 2012, high-profile injuries happening seemingly yearly in the NBA playoffs can turn underdogs into favorites. But you won’t know what you’d have run into unless you qualify for the postseason.

What can the Jazz learn?

While adding lottery picks to a young core has its advantages, so does making the playoffs. While Portland had every excuse to tank for lottery positioning, having lost five of its top six players in minutes played for 2014-15 to 2015-16, the Blazers opted to add veteran NBA talent this past summer and are in the conversation for a Western Conference Finals appearance. Organic chemistry sounds nice, but talent may be the NBA’s trump card.

One round of the playoffs is admittedly a small sample size and can’t be the sole indicator of how any team, including the Jazz, should shape their future. However, the NBA is a copycat league, and following some successful trends can prevent a team from unnecessarily trying to reinvent the wheel.

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