Stephen Curry and his Golden State Warriors pals have the inside track in the Western Conference.
Let's at least give them that much respect as we debate the Western Conference side of these NBA playoffs.
They dominated in semi-historic fashion this season, finishing with the eighth-largest point-differential in the history of the game (10.1), compiling a remarkable 39-2 record on their home floor and holding an 11-game lead on the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets. But as it pertains to the postseason and all the handicapping that started late Wednesday night when the matchups were finally established, they have the closest thing to pole position as you can find in this parity-filled group.