The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: What’s real and what’s not in the West?

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 9: Jae Crowder #99 and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz speak to the media after the game against the Boston Celtics on November 9, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 9: Jae Crowder #99 and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz speak to the media after the game against the Boston Celtics on November 9, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – NOVEMBER 9: Head Coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz speaks to the media after the game against the Boston Celtics on November 9, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – NOVEMBER 9: Head Coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz speaks to the media after the game against the Boston Celtics on November 9, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The deep Western Conference is off to an unbelievably crazy start. What’s real so far between the performances of the Utah Jazz and the rest of the pack?

At this early part of the 2018-19 season, it can be a bit tough to judge whether or not teams are setting themselves up for an epic season or are simply off to a hot start. Less than two weeks into the month of November, sample sizes are small and things can change quite quickly.

That same sentiment certainly applies to the Utah Jazz who went from appearing like one of the challengers to the Golden State Warriors by nearly beating them in the second game of the season, to falling to 1-2, to bouncing back to 4-2, to falling to 4-6, to now climbing back to .500. Talk about a roller coaster.

Those early-season ups and downs have even made the Jazz, who many presumed would be a staunch force in the West this year, difficult to define. Will they still become the elite team they appeared capable of turning into? Or have they been dramatically over-hyped?

Similar questions and varying situations can be applied to pretty much every team in a deep and daunting Western Conference. Some are off to great starts that have them surprising the league thus far. Others are limping out of the gates and dwelling well below their potential.

As such, I can’t help but ask, what’s real and what isn’t in the Western Conference? As I’ve mentioned, it’s still hard to know that at this early juncture, and plenty could change dramatically, or aspects that we expect to change could remain all too familiar. But even so, I’ve decided to muster an attempt at gazing into my crystal ball and projecting what lies ahead for each team in the Western Conference, from the quick risers to the slow starters.

Let’s dive in and see what feels legitimate and what feels like little more than coincidental results of the early season.

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