Which Mates Do They Try to Check? : NBA playoffs: Clippers, Jazz present an interesting array of options in their Western Conference playoff series.

When the playoffs begin Friday for the Clippers, the chess match does, too.

Will the Clippers move 6-foot-10 Danny Manning from power forward back to small forward to gain a mismatch against 6-5 Blue Edwards?

Will they have a center, Charles Smith, guard a forward, Karl Malone?

Will they have another center, almost forgotten Olden Polynice, re-emerge to play physical defense against Malone?

Will they have a forward, Manning, guard a 7-4 center, Mark Eaton?

And will the Jazz have Eaton guard his much-quicker counterpart, Smith, or go with a small lineup with Mike Brown at center?

The options are many as the Clippers tap into their versatility and give thanks, now more than ever, that they did not make a trade that would have broken up the front-court logjam that has existed all season.

Playing the Jazz always brings unusual matchups. Malone must be played physically to try to force him as far outside as possible; then he is double-teamed when he gets the ball in the post. Eaton is usually a non-factor on offense, so teams usually prefer to use size on Malone and let a forward keep watch on Eaton.

Polynice, the starting center for 95 of his first 96 games as a Clipper, is now a third stringer whose main contribution has been vocal support from the bench. He did not play in three of the final nine regular-season games and has not played more than 15 minutes in a game since March 21.

But Polynice, though not known for his shot-blocking or low-post defense, is physical, and that can wear on Malone, whose emotions can get the better of him. The Clippers’ getting eight or 10 solid minutes a game from Polynice could make a huge difference, but so could his being told to put his six fouls to good use.

“I was definitely hoping we’d play Utah rather than Golden State, where most likely I’d end up sitting for the whole series,� Polynice said. “I am definitely looking forward to this series.

“With everything that’s happened, I’ve just kept myself ready for whatever came. This (not playing) is not something I was expecting, to be quite honest.�

The Clippers probably will start Smith on Malone, Manning on Eaton and Ken Norman on Edwards, the latter being the only “true� matchup up front. After that, it might be a cast of thousands on Malone, who went to the free-throw line more than any player in the NBA. A key to the series could be Smith’s staying out of foul trouble.

Utah might take its chances with Eaton on Smith at the start, a risky move because that probably will force one of the game’s best shot-blockers outside against a team that likes to send players cutting down the lane. That will leave Malone to play Manning, a matchup the Jazz likes inside, where Malone can use his strength.

“He (Smith) is going to go out on the floor and isolate against us,� Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan predicted. “A lot depends (on) how we do as a team defensively. If we stand around and watch Mark, we’ll be in trouble. We need to play team defense as much as possible.�

Or as Smith said: “We’re going to have a problem being matched up with them. We have in the past, and we probably will when we play them again. On the other hand, I think they’ll have trouble guarding us, too. We like to spread the ball around, running the passing game offense and moving around a lot. So Mark Eaton is going to have to come out and guard me.

“We’re going to have to exploit that. If we are going to have any chance of beating Utah, there is no doubt in my mind we are going to have to exploit their weaknesses on defense.

“My jump shot is really going to have to be on. I’d assume they would tell Mark to let me shoot, and to let me beat them from the outside and not penetrate. So, if I hit a few, he’s going to have to come out, and then I can utilize my skills and drive around him.�

The Clippers can turn another size advantage in their favor by going with Smith, Manning and James Edwards in hopes of forcing a mismatch from the past: Blue Edwards on Manning. Manning played small forward in all four meetings against the Jazz and averaged 20 points and shot 56.1%.

Clipper Notes

Utah won three of four games against the Clippers, including both at Salt Lake City. The Clippers’ victory came Dec. 13. . . . James Edwards skipped practice Tuesday and stayed out of full-court drills Wednesday to rest a strained muscle on the left side of his rib cage, but is not expected to miss any game time. . . . Danny Manning finished the season No. 8 in the league in shooting, at 54.2%. Said Utah Coach Jerry Sloan, comparing Manning’s 1991-92 performance to that of past seasons: “He’s always been good passer, but he seems to shoot with so much more confidence.� . . . Utah’s David Benoit, a key reserve forward, sat out the last two days of workouts in Salt Lake City to be with his father, who is ill in Louisiana. He is expected to return today.