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Now, we get to see how it all works. And so do the Utah Jazz coaches.

When the Jazz travel to Portland to face the Trail Blazers in their preseason opener on Monday night, the game won't count like it would in the regular season. But that doesn't mean it holds zero importance.

It's the first opportunity for the Jazz players to face someone other than themselves in a game setting. It's the first chance for head coach Quin Snyder to mix and match lineups, see how the new players translate in his offense. It's a chance to see if the defensive principles strenuously stressed during training camp this week carry over against Damian Lillard and Co.

As an added bonus, the two teams will face each other three times over the next four weeks and are expected to compete at the top of the Northwest Division all season. May as well get familiar, right?

"Obviously it's a little unusual to play a team three times in a month," Snyder said. "We feel like this is a good opportunity to get a read on where we are against a good team, a cohesive team who made a playoff run last year. As much as anything, we just want to see where we are collectively as a group."

In many respects the preseason can be treated with kid gloves, especially with coaches throughout the NBA trying to avoid injury and needless wear and tear.

But the first few games are usually a bit different, as there is a laundry list of things for Snyder to accomplish in the next few weeks.

Snyder has to set a playing rotation, and given the depth of this team, that's going to take awhile. He has to integrate George Hill, Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw into the offense, which may not be as difficult, considering they are veterans and have seen more terminology and offensive sets than almost any other player in the league.

Snyder also has to reintegrate Dante Exum into the rotation, as he will be playing in his first real game in 14 months.

And with Alec Burks not expected to play, he may have to project a bit on how he fits into the rotation.

"I think the new guys are blending in very well," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward said. "They've seen a lot, so they've been able to adjust pretty quickly. I think it's a little easier now. We have a system in place, so we're progressing and adapting a bit faster. Monday is a chance to come out and see where you are as a team. We get to see things we have to continue to get better at, all while treating it like a real game."

Earlier in the week, Snyder was quick to caution about preseason results, warning his team not to get too high or low. To enforce his point, Snyder quizzed the media about Utah's preseason record last year.

The media failed the test. Nobody remembered that Utah's record was 3-4.

At the same time, Snyder recognizes that his players are excited about the opener and the opportunity to participate in a real game, and not just a practice scrimmage or an open scrimmage.

When the Jazz scrimmaged at Granger High on Friday afternoon, they scored 12 points combined in the first quarter, clanking most of the shots they took.

Some of the misses could be attributed to fatigue, but there was also a palpable amount of nerves and excitement.

"We were definitely excited," Snyder said. "It caused us to get out fast. We watched a bit of the film, to see where we can make some improvements. I'm not sure we played much defense, but you can't expect as much in that setting."

tjones@sltrib.com twitter: @tribjazz —

Jazz at Trail Blazers

P NBA preseason, Monday, 8 p.m. MDT

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