The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Where do Conley and Mitchell rank among best backcourts in the West?

By Jared Woodcox

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 8: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz congratulates Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies after the game on March 8, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 8: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz congratulates Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies after the game on March 8, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, CANADA – JUNE 10: Klay Thompson #11 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate after Game Five of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors on June 10, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA – JUNE 10: Klay Thompson #11 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate after Game Five of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors on June 10, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

No. 1 – Splash Bros still reign supreme – Steph Curry and Klay Thompson

OK, so this one admittedly comes with a couple caveats. First off, the second member of Golden State’s prolific backcourt nicknamed the ‘Splash Bros’, Klay Thompson, will be out of commission for much of the year as he recovers from a torn ACL. That right there will make Utah’s backcourt better than Golden State’s (even with D’Angelo Russell in commission) for much of the year.

There’s also question about how effective Thompson will be when he returns from injury and what his recovery process will look like. That said, Thompson is known for being tough as nails, and I expect he’ll hardly miss a beat once he’s back in action. For any who disagree with this ranking, I would remind them that for the past five years, even dating back to pre-Kevin Durant signing, the backcourt duo of Stephen Curry and Thompson has been the one to come out of the West.

Although a lot of people are selling low on the Warriors this year due to the departure of Durant and injury to Klay, I believe people would do well to use caution when betting against them. Curry is still a former MVP and could be right back in the thick of the conversation this year. Draymond Green remains effective, and they’ve had several formidable additions this summer as well.

And, more than anything, until an opposing backcourt can prove able to outmatch and surpass Curry and Thompson to take the throne from them, I still have them in the top spot. They’ve been absolutely tantalizing over the past half-decade as knock-down shooters, prolific playmakers and, in the case of Thompson, a lock-down defender.

The other caveat I should mention is that in wake of the departure of Durant and the trading away of Andre Iguodala, it’s entirely possible that once Thompson comes back, he starts as the three instead of the two, resulting in the Warriors’ true backcourt this upcoming season being Curry and Russell. In that case, as I mentioned, I’d put Mitchell and Conley above them due to Russell being far from as daunting as Thompson on either end, particularly defensively.

But even if there is that shift, Thompson has still played most of his career at the shooting guard spot and will obviously continue to log a lot of time paired next to Curry. As such, and as they’re the reigning members of this distinction, I still have them as the top backcourt in the league.

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