A Francisco - Conventional wisdom means that the fate of the warriors will be decided by Stephen Curry's left foot. If it's sound, and he's cooking, they may have reached the top. If it limits him, and he's out of his game, they may bounce in the first round.
The reality of these warriors, and whether they rise or fall, is far more complex.
Although Curry's availability and effectiveness will have a tremendous impact in the first-round series against the Nuggets - he is expected to be in the lineup for Game 1 on Saturday - the most important factor can be distilled down to one question:
Can these Warriors, who lack the custom-built roster to conquer it all, fix the little things they had such a hard time repairing in the second half of the season?
The list of items that set the champions apart from the crowd is longer for the Warriors than for the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks or the defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns. It's taller than the Miami Heat or the Memphis Grizzlies or even the Boston Celtics. It's probably longer than the Brooklyn Nets lacking defense.
And it's not at all like the teams at Golden State, which reached five consecutive NBA Finals, won three championships.
"Our previous teams have proven it many times over," coach Steve Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area. "Those teams knew what they were doing, knew they were going to be fine.
"This team, we need to figure out what we're doing as we go."
These Warriors are a collection of disassociations surrounding an old core of established stars – Curry, Draymond Greene, Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson – each of whom missed a considerable portion of the season.
That mix, and the problems laid out in clear vision, explains a lot about what happened during such uneven weather.
"If you can prepare for it, you'll find yourself during the regular season," Kerr said. "The way the first half of the season went, I thought, 'Okay, we're going to be fine.' But then s-t hit the fan. So, we were pretty scattered over the last few months."
Scattered is a delicate way of saying that the Warriors, who went 29-7 on January 4, went 24-22 in their last 46 games because there were too many games in which they treated the phrase "attention to detail". As if it were Sanskrit.
He repeatedly missed defensive assignments and rotations and often got muddy with closeouts. He had a destructive tendency to help corner 3-point shooters. He suffered the brunt of poor shot selection and missed a free throw. They often neglected such basic fundamentals as blocking and getting their hands on defense.
To make matters worse, the Warriors often made such silly live-ball turnovers that sapped their effort and nurtured the confidence of inferior opponents.
"We can sometimes be too young for the way we throw the ball around," said veteran gatekeeper Igodala.
Every time the Warriors make it to the playoffs it will get them closer to the golf course or overseas vacation in early May.
"It will be important to be on top of the details and follow through with the game plan," said Andrew Wiggins. "To be too disciplined, too detailed. One small mistake, whether it's letting someone through the back door or leaving an open shot, can change a game or a series. Maybe someone has a bad series." Yes, and if you give him an open shot, it might push him.
That's the concept, taking care of the little things, and it's what the Warriors lost their grip on in the first half of the season, partly because of injuries.
They are now almost as healthy as they have been all season, with the return of curry. Game 1 will be the first time in 34 months that he can share court with Greene, Iguodala and Thompson. They have to lead.
Starting with Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole and Wiggins, others will have to line up and bring the rest of the rotation with them.
"This series is likely to test us to really grow and become a team," Kerr said. "We are not that team yet. We know that. We are good enough to win this series. I believe we will. I believe in my people and I love my team."
"But we have to prove it."
Few things are harder than an NBA team that proves, in the postseason, that it is no longer the team it was for most of the regular season. That it can excel in areas so difficult a few weeks ago. So that it can tighten loose strings and make a great bow.
These warriors are capable. But yes, they have to prove it.