We’ve wanted this series. OH, HAVE WE WANTED THIS SERIES FOR SO LONG. Since the end of the 2014-2015 season, we have dreamed of facing off against the Golden State Warriors at full strength. Like being able to bring your new Shelby GT out to the race track just to see what it can do. For the past two years we have had to wait. That beautiful car has had blown tire, the engine went out, and vital repairs had to be made just so we could take it out to the track. But now that time is here.

The Utah Jazz are far from an underdog in this series. This is a 60 win team in a 51 win team’s disguise. Injuries stole those from us. Injuries to George Hill, Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, Shelvin Mack, Gordon Hayward, and Rodney Hood. Every time our team was supposed to get the limelight it deserved a tire went out under the lights of the track on national television. We had to hear how “We weren’t ready.” or “This Utah team is missing something.” Damn right we were missing something. 10 healthy players. That’s what we were missing.

All the time we knew we had something special. Something unique. A team uniquely built to counter the Golden State Warriors’ flying death machine. We had to hear all season long how Rudy Gobert was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate but he just is not capable of doing the things Draymond Green can do. Which is bull****. The only reason people said that was they saw more of Draymond Green with a healthy team. Never mind that Rudy Gobert took this team on his tall 7’1 shoulders and carried them to wins when they were decimated and ailing.

We got to hear how Gordon Hayward was a borderline All-Star despite the fact that he averaged 21.9 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1 steal per game. We had to hear how Klay Thompson was better than Gordon Hayward because he scored 60 points on the hapless Pacers. Cool. Tell me how Klay does carrying his team when Draymond and Curry are out. I’ll wait.

We got to hear how Golden State’s Bob Myers will win Executive of the Year because Kevin Durant chose Golden State. Never mind that Dennis Lindsey built a 50 win team in Utah despite injuries all on the backs of his trades and signings. If Bob Myers wins Executive of the Year for that Kevin Durant signing then there’s a 14 year old up and coming general manager in Kansas who’s absolutely killing the trade market in NBA2K right now. Check him out.

We got to hear previews of the Clippers vs Warriors series like it was a done deal before the tip off of the Utah Jazz’s first game against LA. We got to hear how the Clippers are the real underdog despite the fact that they have been infighting all season long and were facing a healthy Utah team that should have won 60 games if it was healthy.

We had to watch the Warriors enjoy their success despite the fact that they tanked all those years ago to make Utah lose their pick in the draft. No pride in basketball. Had a team that could win games and sat players to get a pick.

We had to watch the Warriors go on to win tons of games after we made the salary dump to take on terrible money so that Andre Igoudala could suit up in the Bay.

We had to hear how signing Joe Johnson wasn’t that impactful and was over the hill.

We had to hear that we weren’t ready.

That ends now.

The Utah Jazz and its fans have about 3 years of pent up anger against this Warriors team.

Screw you and your anointed run to the NBA Finals. We couldn’t care less. We weren’t a sacrificial lamb to the Clippers and we won’t be your stepping stone. You live in the hub of Silicon Valley, we turned a salted over desert into civilization. We don’t give a **** about your tech. Your forefathers sailed around the Americas just so they could avoid the mountains that watch over our home. Our forefathers trekked those mountains and said, “This is the place.” Damn right this is the place.

This is the place.

Now is our time.

We are the ones.

The Utah Jazz are not an underdog in this series. They are your equals. Your soon to be rivals. We will be the 2004 Detroit Pistons to your California Super Team. We are built on defense, execution, and Jerry Sloan’s lunchpail. You think you’re cool because Apple executives have season tickets to your joint? We have fans who have been here since the ABA Utah Stars. The postseason used to be our homecourt. We lived there, you just AirBnB’d it.

And guess what?

We’re back and we want what’s rightfully ours.

So forget your super team. Forget your super stars. Bring your damn icepicks and meet us in the parking lot. This is going to be a brawl.