The J-Notes
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How Will the Utah Jazz Struggle against the West?

By Caleb Manser

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 23: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz go after the loose ball in the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 23, 2017 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 23: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz go after the loose ball in the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 23, 2017 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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Utah Jazz, Western Conference
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 30: Lou Williams #23 of the LA Clippers handles the ball against the Utah Jazz on November 30, 2017 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings own the longest playoff drought in the NBA; 13 years to be exact. After years of dysfunction, toxic locker rooms, and whiffed draft picks in the high lottery, the Kings finally have a clear direction and core of players. They are a hungry team looking to end that playoff drought, and will no doubt bring an energy every night that the Jazz can’t afford to sleep on.

They bring that energy in a high tempo offense. Sacramento’s top six players feature De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III, both under 22 years old, and only one player over 30 years old (Dewayne Dedmon).

Meanwhile Utah’s six best players include three guys on the wrong side of 30 and no players younger than 22. The head of the league’s third fastest offense last season was Fox, as he has a knack for getting to the rim in a hurry.

He and Donovan Mitchell come from the same draft class, and were both featured on Team USA before Fox backed out. That will be a key matchup for sure to see which young guard can lead their team to playoff success this season.

Golden State Warriors

A lot of people are expecting the Warriors to take a step back this season, which is warranted given that they no longer have Finals MVPs Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala. In addition to that, they will not have All-Star Klay Thompson playing until after the midseason break.

But according to Klay, the dynasty isn’t over yet. You can bet the Warriors will be looking to make some noise in the playoffs this season if they get Thompson playing 100 percent in the postseason. They will be the underdog for the first time in five years, and no doubt will look to prove the haters wrong.

The last time Stephen Curry played without Durant on his team, the dude went berserk. He scored 30 points per game on 50/40/90 shooting splits, was unanimously voted most valuable player, and led his team to the most wins (73) in NBA history. Many are hopeful that that version of Curry will torch the league this season.

With D’Angelo Russell at his side, a 20 point per game scorer last season, and Draymond Green, a veteran familiar with the Warriors’ system, expect the Dubs to score prolifically this season.

Speaking of Green, he is a pest for every team in the league. He can guard virtually all five positions at an elite level when he’s motivated. He is one of the biggest trash talkers in the league and is constantly looking to get into the head of his opponent.

Los Angeles Clippers

Does anybody remember Jamal Crawford in a Clippers jersey? Besides being a three-time winner of the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, he was notoriously a “Jazz killer”. Take this game for example: it was April and the Utah Jazz were pushing for the eighth and final playoff seed. The Clippers, meanwhile, rested all their starters in preparation for their anticipated deep playoff run.

The Jazz should have won this home game by all means, but thanks to a 30-point performance from Crawford that included a four-point play and game-winner, the Jazz lost and ended up missing the playoffs by two games.

Lou Williams has also won Sixth Man of the Year thrice, two of them with the Clippers. Now that the Clippers have added Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the reigning 6MOY won’t have to be the Clippers’ primary scoring option. He will have less defensive attention on him and more open shots, so when the Jazz play the Clippers keep an eye on how well Williams plays.

Most NBA teams look for an elite wing defender to guard their opponent’s best perimeter player. With the Clippers, they have two stars that can play the two, three and four and drop 30 on any given night.

Will the Jazz be able to throw out a wing rotation that can stop those two? Royce O’Neale and Dante Exum are good stoppers, but can they hold their own offensively?

The Los Angeles Clippers were only ranked 21st last year in defensive efficiency, but have since added Leonard and George. Those two have combined for nine All-Defensive selections and two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and both have placed top 10 in the league for steals a game, a combined 10 times.

Add in defense specialist Patrick Beverly, and you know this team will be difficult to score on.

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Size
  • Veterans’ I.Q
  • Playoff seeding

The Lakers retooled their roster this summer adding significant size. Anthony Davis can ball out as a dang good center standing at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. But for now, it looks like the Lakers have opted to play Davis at the four, alongside either JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard.

Look for the Lakers to be one of the league’s leaders in grabbing rebounds this season, which could cause trouble for a Jazz roster lacking a true power forward.

This Lakers team is full of veterans and has six guys with over 10 years of NBA experience under their belt. Danny Green and LeBron James are both known for their exceptional basketball I.Q. Howard and Rajon Rondo are in their 13th and 15th years respectively and should be focused on winning more than ever in the twilight of their careers.

Also, the Lakers and Jazz will be close in the win-loss column, and the season series could dictate who gets a higher playoff seed if they finish in a tie. That will make an extra incentive for both teams to win when they face off.

Phoenix Suns

When rumors churned of the Jazz trading for Mike Conley last winter, it’s no secret Ricky Rubio was a little hurt. Furthermore, he wasn’t expecting to be re-signed on the Jazz this summer. This has the potential to be a revenge game for him, to make a statement on the team that didn’t believe in him as their franchise point guard.

This Phoenix Suns team is probably tired of losing by now, as they haven’t won more than 24 games in the past four seasons. Last March we saw a losing team take its frustration out on then-Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio (who is now a Phoenix Sun, ironically enough).

Now that the Suns have a steady veteran hand to help out Devin Booker, they have a real chance to break past 30 wins and finally escape the cellar of the Western Conference. They should have every motivation to do just that in order to make the most of Booker’s prime years.

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