Utah Jazz: The J-Notes staff composite first round playoff predictions

#2 Golden State Warriors vs. #7 San Antonio Spurs

Ryan Aston: The Golden State Warriors may have lost 10 of 17, but they’ve largely been in cruise control. I expect they’ll try to flip the switch now that the postseason is here, but no Stephen Curry means things won’t come easy against the San Antonio Spurs. If Kawhi Leonard resurfaces, they could even be in trouble.

I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one, though. I expect GSW to hang on in a tight one, just in time for Steph to return and the Warriors to make life hard on the Rockets in the Conference Finals. Warriors in 7

Zack Padmore: Stephen Curry, arguably the most important player on the Dubs, is expected to miss the first round. The Warriors are a lot more vulnerable without him, but they will be just fine. San Antonio is going to have a tough time scoring, especially since Kawhi Leonard has no return in sight. The Spurs are great, they have been for a long time, but it’s going to be a tough task for them to take down the Warriors in round one. Warriors in 6

Jared Barker: If Kawhi Leonard pulled a surprise appearance out of his hat this series would be such a treat because NBA fans would be treated to an incredible matchup in the first round and there would be an even greater possibility that Cavs v. Warriors IV wouldn’t happen this year. As it sits now, I expect the playoff Dubs to defend like they mean it and crush the Spurs in four games. Warriors in 4

Tyler Thorpe: This is as vulnerable as the defending champs have looked in years. The Spurs, however, are an extremely favorable draw for the two-seeded Warriors. The Warriors have not just looked like a below elite-level team without Steph Curry, they have looked average. What better matchup than against another team missing their franchise corner stone?  Steph or no Steph, The Warriors still have talent to be a top four team in the entire league and should take care of business against the Spurs.

The Spurs, however, have the biggest X-factor of either team in Gregg Popovich. Without coach Pop, I don’t believe this Spurs roster is a playoff team. Popovich alone gives the Spurs at least one win in this series. The playoff savvy duo of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli combined with LaMarcus Aldridge will land the Spurs a second win against the Dubs. This series, however, will ultimately be won by the more talented team. Remember, even without Curry, the Warriors boast three other All-Star talents. Warriors in 6

John Keeffer: The upset potential of this series is enormous. Golden State has not been the same team this season, and they have multiple players dealing with injuries. Since March 1st, the Warriors are just 10-10, and they have sported a middling offense and defensive rating. 

All that said, they still have Kevin Durant, and more often than not, the team with the best player wins. The Spurs have done a terrific job of closing the season on a high note, and dealing with the absence of Kawhi Leonard. This will be a long series, but I expect the Warriors to survive another round. Warriors in 6

Austin Leonard: 

A rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals with both teams missing their best player. This should and will get interesting. I’ve been praying for a while that the Warriors would get knocked out in the first round before Curry gets back and the Spurs will pose as tough a challenge as they come. Meanwhile, my cousin Kawhi is nowhere to be found and most likely won’t make a return to the Spurs until the beginning of next season at the earliest.

The Warriors look weak without Steph Curry (see their recent 40-point loss to the Jazz) and Gregg Popovich is known for not losing in the first round. While Warriors > Spurs might hold true, I’m starting to believe that (Warriors – Curry) < (Spurs – Leonard) as the Warriors have looked completely out of sorts even with their other three All-Stars healthy. Spurs in 7

Tyler Crandall: Could Kawhi make a sudden emergence from a season-long obscurity to alter the course of the postseason? I don’t think so either. San Antonio is superbly coached, but are severely outmatched physically to the Warriors team. The Warriors are different without Steph Curry and have struggled, but I think we’ll see them kick it up a notch to a level that other teams just don’t have, even if it takes a few games to do so. Warriors in 7

Hayden Van de Maat: As evidenced by their 40-point blowout loss to the Jazz last week, the Golden State Warriors aren’t in tip-top shape. And without Steph Curry for the entire first round, LaMarcus Aldridge and the San Antonio Spurs may be in with a chance. Gregg Popovich has more championship rings than first-round playoff exits in his illustrious coaching career and may be able to pick apart this weakened Warrior team.

The biggest storyline all year for the Spurs has been the health status of Kawhi Leonard. Without any real updates as of late, it’s safe to assume we won’t be seeing Kawhi out there for the Spurs regardless of how deep in the playoffs they go. With this being said, I’m going to have to side with the defending champs. Warriors in 6

Jared Woodcox: If only Kawhi Leonard were healthy and could take on this Curry-less squad. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like such will be the case. The Warriors haven’t looked great of late, but they’ll turn it on for the playoffs and the Spurs have looked worse. They didn’t end the season well and despite the greatness of Gregg Popovich, I don’t like their chances. They’ve remained an excellent team at home (33-8 in regular season) so I think they’ll get at least one there, but that’s about it. Warriors in 5

General Consensus: Warriors in 6