Due to a peculiarity of this year’s schedule, the Spurs will end their season series with the Utah Jazz tonight. How the NBA managed to squeeze in so many San Antonio games against the same opponents at this early point in the season is perhaps a question for another article, but the intricacies of the matchup are pretty well known at this point.

The jazz is not good. They might be a little less bad if that were their goal, but after Utah-based overlord Danny Ainge somehow forgot to tank for Victor Wembanyama (despite being given so many good excuses), the Jazz now seem fully into it Tanking to Be Invested Most agree that this is a pretty deep draft class.

They are currently 4-12 in the bottom 5. However, they still need to do more to improve their chances of finishing in first place. I expect them to do just that, as their only win over the Spurs came in San Antonio’s most injury-ridden stretch, and by a single point.

The Spurs, on the other hand, are definitely not bad. They have their first positive net rating and +/- as a team in quite some time, with a defense that continues to rank in the top 10 in the league and appears to be improving with the help of newcomer Stephon Castle.

At 9-8, the Spurs find themselves in the middle of the crowded Western Conference standings and will likely need every win they can get against teams like the Jazz to have a shot at the postseason.

After a three-year absence from the play-in (and five years from the postseason), the young Spurs look hungrier, healthier and ready to make a real push with the help of their steady stream of new veterans.

I would bet on silver and black here.

Utah Jazz at San Antonio Spurs

November 26, 2024 | 8:00 CT

Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Southwest | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spore injuries: Keldon Johnson – probable (hamstring), Devin Vassell – out (knee), Jeremy Sochan – out (hand)

Jazz injuries: Taylor Hendricks – Out (Leg), Jordan Clarkson – Out (Foot), Kyle Filipowski – Out (Ankle)

What you should pay attention to:

The Bassey – Collins Minutes Split

It’s probably no surprise that the big backup discussion has been somewhat contentious since Charles Bassey’s return from a season-ending injury. Fans have been upset with Collins’ defense and three-point shooting since last season, and minor improvements to both weren’t enough to assuage the anger directed at the Spurs’ annual scapegoat on Twitter. Bassey’s recent performances have only fueled that fire, given his seemingly endless reserves of energy and his progress as a rim protector (to the tune of six blocks off the bench in a game, something San Antonio hasn’t seen since the mid-80s). led to a gradual increase in minutes. Mitch Johnson seems intent on combining his bench sizes (a smart idea since each brings different skill sets), but any increase in minutes for Bassey will likely come at the expense of Collins. It shouldn’t take more than a weeks-long injury to the fragile Collins before Bassey unofficially ousts him.

For the Jazz fan’s perspective, visit SLC Dunk.

The PtR game thread will be available tonight for those who want to chat about the game. You can also follow the action through PtR Twitter feed.