Game thread & preview: Golden State Warriors face the Utah Jazz

Golden State Warriors (1-1) vs. Utah Jazz

6 p.m. PST

TV: Root Sports | Radio: KNBR

Buddy blog: SLC Dunk

During an offseason podcast with True Hoop's Salt City Hoops, Andy Larsen was trying to talk all sorts of trash to me about how he was gonna hate on the Warriors hard this year for a number of reasons:

Hey @warriorsworld and @NateP_SBN, we may be saddled with Jefferson & Biedrins, but we also have Ian Clark SO THERE: http://t.co/bA1A6J3bNU

— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 8, 2013

• The Warriors gave them the contracts Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins. Also, Richard Jefferson is starting for the Jazz tonight.

Among the other former Warriors, Richard Jefferson is starting for the Jazz, & Brandon Rush is still working his way back from knee surgery.

— Rusty Simmons (@Rusty_SFChron) October 8, 2013

• The Warriors tanked their way out of sending the Jazz the 2012 lottery pick (from that abhorrent Marcus Williams deal) that the Warriors used to get Harrison Barnes.
  
• Jazz fans are supposed to hate Mark Jackson. Now he has overseen the Warriors' move past the Jazz in the Western Conference hierarchy.
• Last, but by no means least, the Warriors sent the Jazz their 2014 and 2017 first round draft picks. So if the Warriors are really bad this year and/or in 2016-17, the Jazz benefit. I suppose a slow deterioration that the Warriors don't recover from by 2017 might even be ideal for Jazz fans.
  

So, you know, haters gon' hate.

But do we even care? Like, can this possibly even be a rivalry? Why should we hate on the Jazz again? Because they took Ian Clark? Cool story, kid.

As I said about the Lakers, I believe the best trolling should be reserved for the regular season though.

So let's move on.

1. For the Warriors, Harrison Barnes and Jermaine O'Neal won't be playing tonight:

Harrison Barnes (left foot) and Jermaine O'Neal (lower back) did not travel with the Warriors to Utah. If regular season, they'd be here.

— Rusty Simmons (@Rusty_SFChron) October 8, 2013

2. We'll probably get to see a bit more of the reserves tonight as Jackson is planning on resting the starters.

You know what to do: follow along with the game in the comments and feel free to make this as much or as little of a rivalry as you want.