Well, this might not be the top game on everyone’s TV tonight, but it has a chance to be a solid matchup. Even though the Jazz have struggled this year, they pose an interesting challenge to the Spurs. With size down low, an assortment of long wings, and fast guards, the Jazz may have a poor record, but they can still surprise you if you’re not careful.
The Spurs have been feeling themselves lately. They’ve won their last three games, including one against Utah last Thursday. They did manage to take out OKC and Golden State, so the Spurs are showing that they are a real team, not just a novelty.
Harrison Barnes has been a great addition this year, winning Player of the Week in the West last week. He’s been an anchor on a young team that has struggled a bit with injury. Of course, the star of the show is still Wemby, as he’s had some electric scoring nights recently. It does help that Chris Paul has been a master at getting Wemby the ball. He’s proven he still has something left in the tank, even with his offense declining.
With Devin Vassell out tonight, we may see a bit more of Castle, whose rookie year has been a bit hit or miss. He’s struggled to score the ball efficiently, shooting under 40% from the field and under 30% from 3. He’s been a solid driver, and his defense is slowly improving, but he has a lot of work to do before he’s ready for full-time PG duty.
Overall, this matchup with the Jazz should be an easy win. They beat them by eight last week, and that was without Wemby. Now that he’s back in the lineup, this should be an easy win. However, that doesn’t mean Utah won’t have a chance. They have Markkanen, John Collins, and Walker Kessler, giving them actual size down low. The Spurs haven’t been one of the most efficient teams from deep, so if the Jazz can close off the interior, they may be able to limit Wemby. Of course, that will also require Utah to score, which has been a struggle all year. We think the Spurs will take this one, but the Jazz could make this a gritty game.
Utah is by far the worst team in the West this year. They're already in full tank mode with a 4-12 record already. They’re struggling to do much with the ball on offense, with the three balls just not landing. They are in the bottom 10 for both FG% and 3%. That’s not entirely surprising, considering how young this team is. Beyond Clarkson, Collins, and Markkanen, this team is almost all under 25 years old. Cody Williams, the 10th pick in the draft out of Colorado, has had a tough transition to the league. Despite his size at 6’7, he has been abysmal on offense, shooting 27% from the field, he’s only averaging 3 points a game.
This has been the challenge for this Jazz team. The inexperience has hindered any momentum they gain in these games. Lauri has been solid, and Sexton has been a bright spot, but after those two, this roster has flopped. We expected this, however, as it was clear the Jazz were more interested in a high draft pick over a good record. It makes sense, as this team is still deep in the rebuilding phase.
Even though they’re not exactly a serious team, they can still surprise you. If the three ball is falling, this team can be a menace, and defensively, they’re not half bad. They like to move fast, sitting at 9th in the league for pace. They'll give the Spurs some trouble if they can get defensive stops, get out in transition, and hit some 3s. We don’t see all of that coming together tonight. We think the Spurs with Wemby will be too long and break into the interior. Even if the Spurs aren’t shooting well, their experience and defense should be enough to win tonight. We’re still all in on the Spurs winning.
Spurs Injuries:
Keldon Johnson Probable
Devin Vassell Out
Jeremy Sochan Out
Jazz Injuries:
Kyle Filiposki Out
Jordan Clarkson Out
Taylor Hendricks Out
Spread: SA -2.5 (-112) / UTA +2.5 (-108)
Total Points: 226
Moneyline: SA (-135) / UTA (+114)