OAKLAND — Despite the drama, despite the injuries, and despite big-time changes to the roster, the Warriors are exactly where everyone presumed they would be as the NBA enters its homestretch this week: they sit in first place in the Western Conference as the overwhelming favorites to win a third-straight NBA title.
The first 57 games of the Warriors regular season were anything but ho-hum. The final 25 should — in theory — be smoother.
That’s not to say that there won’t be challenges, though. The Warriors will need to strike a delicate balance in the coming weeks to maintain their favorite status.