The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Ranking Utah’s potential playoff matchups

By Tyler Thorpe

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 30: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors of the Utah Jazz of the Golden State Warriors at vivint.SmartHome Arena on January 30, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 30: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors of the Utah Jazz of the Golden State Warriors at vivint.SmartHome Arena on January 30, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Donovan Mitchell LaMarcus Aldridge Utah Jazz San Antonio Spurs
SAN ANTONIO,TX – MARCH 23 : LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the San Antonio Spurs moves to score against Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah jazz and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah jazzat AT&T Center on March 23, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

2. San Antonio Spurs

Utah vs San Antonio: 3-1

I know… I know. “It’s the Spurs!” and “Any team coached by Gregg Popovich has a fighting chance.”

I just don’t think this Spurs team feels like any of the traditional powerhouse Spurs squads of the past.

This season has featured poor communication, players-only meetings and subtle jabs among teammates. None of these things are part of San Antonio’s decades-long championship brand.

Before a tough 124-120 overtime loss to the Spurs last week, the Jazz were 3-0 against San Antonio this season. It took a career-high 45 points from LaMarcus Aldridge for the Spurs to pull out the OT win over the Jazz.

The Spurs have long had Utah’s number, however, this year feels different. With Kawhi Leonard’s status still oddly unclear, the Spurs are nothing more than a slightly above average team.

Manu Ginobili’s recent hustle and leadership along with Aldridge’s incredible offensive play of late have helped keep the Spurs afloat in the West, however, they are far from being a true contender.

Again, the Popovich factor and playoff experience are both in San Antonio’s favor, however, I would be surprised if the Leonard-less Spurs could take down a scrappy Jazz team in a seven-game series.

Looks like it may be the beginning of the end for the Spurs and just the beginning of a new chapter for the Jazz.

Prediction: Jazz win 4-3

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