Golden State Warriors: One Player on Each Team Who Fans Hate to See

The passion of NBA fans can be found all over the world, and while it can create the love and obsession for the team you root for most, it can also spark the hatred of any and all opposing players.

Not all opponents end up becoming bitter rivals, but for every NBA squad, there is a player out there who will stick in the minds of the fans because of how they are linked to their teams.

Whether it be a former player, a surprising role player or a dominant superstar, every team has their nemesis, and the Golden State Warriors are no exception.

Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford

Al Horford has had phenomenal games the past few seasons when the Atlanta Hawks face off against the Warriors. 

The trend began back in 2010 when Horford recorded 26 points and 11 rebounds in a four-point Warriors victory.

While Horford is often times outscored by the likes of Josh Smith, Joe Johnson or Marvin Williams, he has averaged 24 points and 13.5 rebounds against Golden State since the 2010 season.

Although Zaza Pachulia played a good game in Horford's absence this time around, getting the victory and avoiding Horford for the entire season are two things that this team can be thankful for.

Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo

A few years back, it seemed it was Ray Allen dominating the scoreboard every time these two teams got together, while Kevin Garnett easily controlled the glass.

But like the Boston Celtics team, lately it's been all Rajon Rondo.

Rondo averaged a near triple-double against the Warriors in the 2008-09 season, followed by 24.0 points and 13.5 assists per game the next year—his highest numbers against any team in the NBA that season. He somehow even managed to bump his assists up to 15 per contest against this team a year ago.

Rondo has not had a game against the Warriors with less than 12 assists since 2008, and with their first meeting less than two weeks away, fans might want to cross their fingers that Rondo isn't with the team come March 14.

Charlotte Bobcats: Kemba Walker

Considering the team is boasting a 5-31 record so far this season, it's tough to find an intimidating player anywhere on the Charlotte Bobcats' roster.

While D.J. Augustin gets an honorable mention for his 27 points, 12 assists and four steals in last year's overtime showdown, the nod has to go to the rookie point guard out of Connecticut, Kemba Walker.

Walker stepped in and made his first NBA start against the Warriors this season, and if his 23 points, four rebounds and five assists were any indication, a lot of teams are going to hate dealing with the young guard for years to come.

Chicago Bulls: Luol Deng

Luol Deng participated in his first All-Star Game last month, but if the 6'9" forward in his seventh year could play against every opponent the way he plays against Golden State, he'd probably be a seven-time All-Star by now.

His hot streak against this team began in the 2006-07 season, when he averaged 18 points, five assists and seven rebounds against Golden State, and it's safe to say that he's kept up the pace moving forward.

Since 2009, Deng has averaged more than 20 points every season against the Warriors—something Derrick Rose has yet to do.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving

Considering how non-menacing the Cleveland Cavaliers' roster was last season without LeBron James, it shouldn't be a surprise that newcomer Kyrie Irving makes this list.

Already having recorded 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists in his first showdown against Golden State this season, if he can continue to improve his game over time, Irving will stay on this list regardless of who the Cavaliers are able to acquire down the road.

Dallas Mavericks: Jason Terry

We all know that Dirk Nowitzki is the anchor for the Dallas Mavericks, but Golden State has gotten to know Jason Terry far too well over the past few seasons.

After being eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of the Warriors, the Mavericks have found success against the team, going 10-4 since the start of the 2007-08 season.

Terry has been a big reason for the Mavs' victories, having dropped more than 20 points off the bench more times than most Warriors fans care to remember.

Denver Nuggets: Ty Lawson

The Nuggets have lacked an undisputed superstar since sending away Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks, but their depth can make anybody a threat to go off on any given night.

One of the biggest threats to carry the team on his back has to be third-year point guard, Ty Lawson.

Lawson only scored 11 points in their first matchup this season, but with 10 assists that night, he should be considered the player who can push the tempo and get others going in different areas of the stat sheet.

Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe

In their one and only meeting this season, the Warriors got to know Greg Monroe better than they probably presumed they would.

Monroe scored 25 points, pulled down eight rebounds, and connected on 13 of his 14 free-throw attempts.

The sample size is small on Monroe so far for Golden State, but if the first game was any indication of the future, the Warriors won't be the only team that has trouble containing the  6'11", 250-pound Pistons center.

Houston Rockets: Kevin Martin

Kevin Martin is a pure scorer who has torched many teams throughout his days in the NBA.

It's no coincidence, however, that his career-high 50-point game came in an overtime win against the Warriors when he was still with the Sacramento Kings.

Martin has averaged more than 25 points per game against the Warriors nearly every season since 2006, and has earned a well deserved spot on this list, much to the chagrin of the Golden State faithful.

Luis Scola is a close second place, having recorded games of 21 points and 11 rebounds, 24 points and 12 rebounds and 36 points and 16 rebounds over the past few seasons, but Martin's scoring puts him ahead for now.

Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger

With Roy Hibbert starting to come into his own, the Indiana Pacers big man could someday find himself on the decently sized list of big men who play well against the Warriors.

For now, though, Danny Granger appears to remain the biggest thorn in Golden State's side.

Heading into this season, Granger has spent the last three years posting 32.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game against the Warriors, proving that he is much more than just a scoring threat.

Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul

Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have to be considered one of the best duos in the NBA today, but while Griffin can take over a highlight reel like nobody's business, Paul was the spark plug in turning the Los Angeles Clippers into a contender out West.

Griffin has posted some great games against the Warriors in his young career, including a three-game stretch in which he averaged 27.0 points, 14.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists in just 13 days.

Paul, however, is a player who can get the double-double stats while hitting clutch buckets and getting everyone else on his team involved. The stats are important, but it's the leadership that makes Chris Paul most dangerous.

The Clippers and Warriors were reportedly in trade discussions regarding Paul this past offseason. While the team was unwilling to trade away its assets without a long-term commitment from Paul, the Warriors are now seeing what he can do for a team, and he'll likely showcase his skills for all in the Bay Area to see for a number of years to come.

Los Angeles Lakers: Pau Gasol

The easy answer here is Kobe Bryant, who over the last decade has had 30 or more points against the Warriors 17 times, including seven games of 40 or more.

Pau Gasol, however, has been a force to be reckoned with in his own right.

Although not the scorer Bryant is, Gasol has averaged 22.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks—all of which are his career average—since joining Los Angeles during the 2007-08 season.

Gasol didn't play against the Warriors that year as a Laker, but he did play the team once as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, recording 43 points and 11 rebounds.

Since the 2008-09 season, Gasol has been the game's leading scorer four times when these squads get together—only one time fewer than Bryant.

Memphis Grizzlies: Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay has made a hobby out of scoring 20-plus against the Warriors, and even took that to the next level by averaging more than 30 points per game against this team just a season ago.

While the 6'8" small forward is a premier scorer and an improving rebounder, he's also full of highlight reel dunks, clutch buckets and has an attitude that only a home crowd could love after a big play.

Miami Heat: Take Your Pick

LeBron James. Dwyane Wade. Pick your poison.

Both players dominate seemingly every time they hit the court, and the Warriors have been no exception to that standard.

When thinking about which player Golden State fans have hated to see more throughout the years, consider the production of each player against the Warriors for the past five seasons:

	James	Wade
Current Season	26.0 PTS, 7.0 AST, 11.0 REB, 2.0 STL, 0.0 BLK	34.0 PTS, 2.0 AST, 6.0 REB, 4.0 STL, 1.0 BLK
2010-11	25.0 PTS, 9.5 AST, 7.0 REB, 1.0 STL, 1.0 BLK	29.5 PTS, 7.5 AST, 7.5 REB, 1.5 STL, .5 BLK
2009-10	34.0 PTS, 11.5 AST, 6.5 REB, 1.5 STL, 3.0 BLK	35.0 PTS, 10.5 AST, 6.5 REB, 3.5 STL, 0.0 BLK
2008-09	27.5 PTS, 8.0 AST, 8.0 REB, 3.0 STL, 1.5 BLK	34.5 PTS, 10.5 AST, 6.5 REB, 1.5 STL, 3.0 BLK
2007-08	24.5 PTS, 8.5 AST, 7.5 REB, .5 STL, 2.0 BLK	33.0 PTS, 10.0 AST, 2.0 REB, 0.0 STL, 0.0 BLK

Go ahead, take your pick.

Milwaukee Bucks: Stephen Jackson

Stephen Jackson's best year was arguably the 2008-09 season when he averaged 20.7 points, 6.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game for the Golden State Warriors.

A year later, he decided he was tired of his team and did what he could to get the heck out of town that season.

If feelings weren't hard enough toward the former Warrior, his game-tying three pointer last January in the final seconds—as well as the on-court celebration that followed—probably made up the storybook ending that Jackson had in mind for himself all along.

As we move forward, Brandon Jennings, who dropped a career-high 55 points on the Warriors in his rookie season, should become someone the fans hate to see, purely because of his ridiculous scoring ability.

For the time being, though, Jackson has done everything he can to get himself on this list, and this spot on the page belongs solely to him.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love

Kevin Love has become a double-double machine at the NBA level, and his play against Golden State simply exemplifies that fact.

When Love posted an average of 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds against Golden State his rookie season, we all knew he was going to be good.

The next season, however, is when Love took it to a whole different level, averaging 20 points and 16.5 rebounds per game—his highest averages against any opponent in the NBA.

The teams are scheduled to meet three times this season, and if Love comes anywhere near the 19.3 points and 17.8 rebounds he posted against the team a year ago, a new defensive assignment might be in order.

New Jersey Nets: Deron Williams

Deron Williams is a top-tier point guard in the NBA, and quite frankly, every team and their fan base should dread facing off against this 27-year-old superstar.

In his one game against the Warriors this season, Williams scored 24 points and had 10 assists to go alongside eight rebounds; but this team has seen Williams go off in a number of games throughout his career that have either equaled or exceeded this same kind of production.

His career-high 55-point game may not have been at the expense of the Warriors, but for a team that is currently 26th in the NBA in points allowed this season, that type of player needs to become defensive priority No. 1 next time they face off.

New Orleans Hornets: Eric Gordon

The New Orleans Hornets haven't had much going for them since the Chris Paul trade this summer, so it's only fitting that Eric Gordon will likely miss most of the games between these two teams this season.

Eric Gordon has never been known to destroy the hopes and dreams of the Warriors and their fans; but then again, neither have any of the other Hornets.

While Chris Kaman has been solid at times in their matchups, Golden State should be more focused on shutting down the scoring of Gordon, should he be able to play in their matchup at the end of the season.

New York Knicks: Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin will be the only player on this list to have never scored a point against the Golden State Warriors, but as you well know, the story here does not lie within the numbers.

This isn't a case of the Warriors organization passing on a can't-miss player. If it weren't for the Knicks' glaring weakness at point guard early this season, he might not even be on an NBA roster at this point in the season.

Nobody expected Lin to pan out the way he has, but the Warriors will forever be connected to the player who once sat on their bench averaging less than 10 minutes a contest for 29 games during the 2010-11 season.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant

In his first performance ever against the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant had a forgettable six points and three rebounds in 25 minutes for the Seattle Supersonics back in 2007.

Just five months later, though, Durant would close out his rookie season with a 42-point, 13-rebound performance, and set the path for which he's followed the rest of his young career.

Since that performance in April of 2008, Durant has averaged more than 32 points, 9.5 rebounds and had his fair share of clutch performances against the Warriors.

Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard

The Warriors' unique strategy against the Orlando Magic this season didn't exactly pan out, as Dwight Howard not only broke a nearly 50-year-old NBA free-throw record, but had 45 points, 23 rebounds, four steals and two blocks en route to a 117-109 Magic victory.

Even without the intentional fouls, Howard has been dominant against the Warriors, averaging an impressive 22.5 points and 16.5 rebounds since the 2006-07 season.

Needless to say, Warriors fans will continue to dread Howard season after season—unless of course he's in a Warriors jersey.

Philadelphia 76ers: Lou Williams

Although Andre Iguodala is likely the best player on the Philadelphia 76ers roster, his triple-double against the Warriors last season isn't enough to top Lou Williams on this list.

Although he is not necessarily going to fill the stat sheets, in his only game against the Warriors in the 2009-10 season, Williams showed his potential by racking up 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Williams provides the 76ers with great energy as a reserve, and the last three matchups between these teams have seen the guard go off for 24, 24 and 19 points, all off the bench.

Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash

The continued brilliance of Steve Nash is the only reason that Marcin Gortat, who is averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds against Golden State this season, doesn't make the cut on this list.

Last season, Nash averaged 15.5 points, 13.0 assists and shot 46.7 percent from behind the three-point line in four games against the Warriors. 

Despite his age, Nash is still a premier point guard in this league, and should continue to keep defenses in Golden State honest until the day he retires from his illustrious NBA career.

Portland Trail Blazers: Nicolas Batum

With the retirement of Brandon Roy this offseason, youngster Nicolas Batum became the Portland Trail Blazer who Golden State fans could eventually love to hate.

While Raymond Felton averaged 23.3 points and nine assists against this team just last season, his play is hardly worth mentioning this time around.

Aldridge has become the go-to guy in Portland, and even ex-Warrior Jamal Crawford helped break hearts in the Bay Area once again this season when he reminded fans how clutch he can be.

But Batum is an up-and-coming player who can shoot the three, finish above the rim and provide the defense necessary to disrupt any play.

His length allows him to get in the passing lanes, chase down fast breaks and irritate virtually any opposing player on the offensive end.

Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins

Although he is only in the early stages of his NBA career, DeMarcus Cousins has already become a nuisance for the Golden State Warriors.

Last season as a rookie, Cousins put up an impressive 14.5 points and 10.8 rebounds against the team—both higher than his season averages.

In two games against the team this season, Cousins has boosted his numbers to 21 points, 17 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game against the Warriors.

Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton have had their share of good outings against Golden State, but Cousins is proving that he just might be become enemy No. 1 in the Bay Area when the in-state rival Kings come to town.

San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker

The scary thing about the San Antonio Spurs is that you never quite know which superstar is going to take over, or which role players are going to step up in any given game of the season.

Tony Parker, however, has been great almost all season long, and put up 21 points and eight assists in the Spurs' first game against Golden State this year.

While Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have both had good games against the Warriors in the not so distant past, Parker is in the midst of one of the best seasons of his NBA career, and with two meetings remaining on the schedule, he could certainly be the biggest threat to spoil Golden State's mood two more times this season.

Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan

While inconsistency has certainly plagued the 22-year-old shooting guard's early NBA career, DeMar DeRozan has also proven to be dangerous when you might least expect it.

His season-high 29 points followed subpar 14-point and eight-point showings, but he has since been able to put together a nice string of 20-plus-point performances.

With center Andrea Bargnani missing time to injury this season, DeRozan more realistically makes this list because of his team's mediocre roster.

Give it some time, and DeRozan might be more worthy of a spot on this list because he's become a star in this league, and not because his team's lackluster roster places him here by default.

Utah Jazz: Al Jefferson

The Warriors are 26th this season in rebounding, and big men such as the Utah Jazz's Al Jefferson will look to take advantage of that every chance they get. 

With a number of double-doubles against Golden State, including a 16-point, 15-rebound performance last season, Jefferson could be a piece that thrives in their two meetings toward the end of this season.

Washington Wizards: Javale McGee

Although Javale McGee had only 10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the Warriors' one matchup with the Washington Wizards this season, he has historically played well when these two teams meet.

Last season, McGee averaged 16.5 points, 12 rebounds and 2.5 blocks against Golden State. Two seasons ago, though, he really came out of his shell and put up 25 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.

John Wall may be a potential All-Star, and he may even put up good numbers against the Warriors, but with the fire power of of Golden State's backcourt, the team should be more worried about containing the big man in the middle.

For a guy who averages only 8.4 points and 6.0 rebounds for his career, McGee can clearly step it up when need be—or at least when he's playing the Warriors.