Spurs 126 Jazz 120: 3 Key Takeaways

The Utah Jazz fall to the San Antonio Spurs in their first preseason loss.

Oct 12, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) shoots over San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

With the help of a fourth quarter push, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Utah Jazz 126-120 in preseason play at the Frost Bank Center. The Jazz looked to in control of the contest heading into the last quarter, but the Spurs scored 38 points in last period and cruised to the victory. 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama missed the game due to rest.

So, what did we learn as the Jazz lose their first game in this year's preseason. Let's examine the key takeaways.

Have a Day, Cody Williams

Utah's top pick of the 2024 draft had his best game of the preseason. Williams has had problems asserting himself in Utah’s offense thus far, but that wasn’t the case in San Antonio. 

Williams finished the game with 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting while knocking down four three-pointers. Williams has the metrics to be a star and showed the Jazz why he was high on their draft board.

The Spurs' first pick, Stephon Castle, struggled in the first half, but came on strong in the last quarter. He finished with 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field. Jazz fans may remember Castle being a popular pick to be drafted by Utah on social media. It’s only one preseason game, but maybe Utah slipping to No. 10 was a blessing in disguise.

Jazz Veterans Sit This One Out

The Jazz announced prior to the contest that Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, and Patty Mills would be sitting out due to rest. Starting point guard, Keyonte George also missed the game due to a knee injury sustained against the Dallas Mavericks. Also, first-round pick Isaiah Collier suffered a hamstring injury during the game. The extent of the injury is unknown.

This could be a sign of things to come for the rebuilding Jazz. Although one can’t read too much into a preseason game, the Jazz have shown they can play the load management game with the best of them. 

Since Jazz head coach Will Hardy arrived, the Jazz have waited to take the foot off the gas until after the trade deadline. Could this be a sign of things to come? That remains to be seen, but how much the veterans play in the season's first month will be watched closely.

Johnny Juzang Continues to Shine

So, does Juzang make the initial rotation to begin the season? Where it stands today, the answer is probably no. It doesn’t bode well for Juzang, getting only 19 minutes on a night when Markkanen, Collins, Clarkson, and Mills didn’t suit up.

Despite being low on the totem poll, Juzang keeps shining when he gets a chance. The ex-UCLA Bruin knocked down two three-pointers on three attempts and finished the game with seven points.

Juzang is 9-for-12 from long-distance in three preseason games, averaging 12.6 points per game. It’s an impressive stat line, and with Utah pushing the youth movement, Juzang's opportunity to play when games matter could come sooner rather than later.

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