This is what we have been waiting for since Halloween.
The strength of the Western Conference was as good as advertised and has provided a first round of playoffs that should have NBA fans salivating.
The best series appears to be the Los Angeles Clippers vs. the San Antonio Spurs, whom you could argue were two of the league’s three best teams coming down the stretch. And approximately two weeks from now, one of those teams will be headed to its offseason, its championship dreams dashed well before their expiration date.
There is a war of attrition between the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers, both of whom are dealing with multiple injuries to pivotal players.
And there’s a nice Texas rivalry between the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks and Twitter tweakers Daryl Morey and Mark Cuban.
Below are previews of all four series, summarizing each team’s strengths and weaknesses and their relative health.
(1) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS. (8) NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Warriors
Trending: Up. Of course they’re trending up. The Warriors won 67 games, including their final four games and 16 of their last 18. They went 39-2 at home and will have home court advantage throughout the postseason.
Biggest Advantage: Golden State’s balance gives them so many players to have to contend with on both ends. Gs Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have in-the-gym range, F Draymond Green is my pick to win Defensive Player of the Year and coach Steve Kerr utilized his deep bench well over the course of the season. They’re first in scoring offense, first in defensive rating and second in offensive rating.
Biggest Disadvantage: This is nitpicking, but playoff games are played at a slower pace with more halfcourt sets. Golden State averaged 98.3 possessions per 48 minutes during the regular season, the fastest pace in the league. The last team to win the title with a pace-ranking in the top five was the 2009 Lakers.
Injuries: Remarkably healthy given the time of the season. F David Lee missed Wednesday’s season finale against Denver with a cranky back, but other than that the core rotation players are all good to go against New Orleans.
Pelicans
Trending: Up. New Orleans has won eight of 11 after a four-game losing streak many thought would be the end of its playoff 
push. Ironically, the Pelicans were the last team to beat Golden State with a 103-100 home victory on April 7.
Biggest Advantage: Anthony Davis is the NBA leader in blocks, made two-point field goals and Player Efficiency Rating. New Orleans needs to base everything around him to have any chance in this series. The Pelicans have the fourth-slowest pace in the league, so controlling the tempo against Golden State also is key.
Biggest Disadvantage: Despite having Davis and Omer Asik protecting the paint, NOLA’s defensive metrics are weak. The Pelicans are 22nd in defensive rating, 28th in forcing opponents’ turnover percentage and 16th in opponents’ effective field goal percentage. New Orleans somehow has to find a way to get stops on defense.
Injuries: After missing Monday’s game against Minnesota with a lower leg injury, G Jrue Holiday played against San Antonio on Wednesday but had been out for a while. F Ryan Anderson recently returned from a knee injury. F Dante Cunningham has a knee bruise.
(2) HOUSTON ROCKETS VS. (7) DALLAS MAVERICKS
Rockets
Trending: Up. Houston has won six of eight, with the only two losses coming to San Antonio. Looking further back, the Rockets 
are winners of 10 of 13, including a 108-101 win in Dallas on April 2.
Biggest Advantage: The Rockets push the pace, shoot threes and get to the line with MVP candidate James Harden better than any other team. They attempt and make the most threes, attempt the second-most free throws and have the second-fastest pace behind Golden State. Harden is the perfect conductor for the new-age, analytically inclined offense Houston employs. It’s hard to envision anyone on Dallas stopping him.
Biggest Disadvantage: Two really important things championship teams do – taking care of the ball and rebounding – are two glaring weaknesses. Houston turned it over on 15 percent of its possessions during the regular season, third-highest in the league, and had the third-worst defensive rebounding percentage as well.
Injuries: G Patrick Beverley (wrist) and F Donatas Motiejunas (back) are out with season-ending injuries. F K.J. McDaniels is expected to miss the postseason with an injured wrist. C Dwight Howard recently returned from a knee injury. F Terrence Jones has a rib issue.
Mavericks
Trending: Flat. Dallas split its final 10 games, including going 1-3 against Western playoff teams during that span.
Biggest Advantage: Dallas can score (third in scoring, fifth in rating) and needs to take advantage of Beverley’s injury. Rajon Rondo needs to step up and really get the best of his matchups with Houston’s point guards. Also, Dallas turns opponents over on 14.7 percent of its possessions, good for fourth in the league and even better considering how Houston turns it over.
Biggest Disadvantage: The inability to defend the three could kill the Mavs. They are 27th in the league in 3-point defense, an astronomically large disadvantage against the most prolific 3-point shooting team in the league.
Injuries: F Chandler Parsons missed the regular season finale with an injured knee. G Devin Harris has a toe injury. G Monta Ellis appears to be over his hip injury.
(3) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS. (6) SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Clippers
Trending: Way up. Only a March 31 loss to Golden State prevented a season-ending 15-game winning streak. The Clippers had a seven-game winning streak before that loss and finished with another seven in a row.
Biggest Advantage: Offense. The Clippers have the league’s top offense in terms of efficiency and the second-ranked scoring offense. C DeAndre Jordan and G Chris Paul are second and third, respectively, in the league in offensive rating, G J.J. Redick is 17th and F Blake Griffin hits over 50 percent of his shots.
Biggest Disadvantage: The lack of depth has been an issue all season. LA’s 30.4 bench points per game was 22nd during the regular season and nearly 10 points fewer than San Antonio’s bench points. If the second unit gets shredded every time it takes the floor, it won’t matter how efficient the team’s overall offense is.
Injuries: F Matt Barnes has been dealing with a swollen toe. G Jamal Crawford does not look totally recovered from a calf injury. Otherwise, the Clippers are pretty much healthy.
Spurs
Trending: Up. The Spurs won 11 straight before dropping the season finale to New Orleans. That run included wins over Golden 
State, Houston (twice), Memphis and Dallas.
Biggest Advantage: Defense. The Spurs finished second in defensive rating and third in scoring defense, and Kawhi Leonard’s ability to shut down opponents’ wing stars is huge. He could conceivably guard either Paul or Griffin in crucial situations. As mentioned, San Antonio’s depth will be huge in this series.
Biggest Disadvantage: A lack of muscle and force inside. The Spurs don’t really have an answer for Jordan, who led the league in rebounding. Also, San Antonio’s offensive rebound percentage was 25th in the NBA and its second-chance opportunities could be limited.
Injuries: C Tiago Splitter and F Matt Bonner both have calf injuries and are questionable for Game One. G Marco Belinelli has been dealing with a groin issue. G Tony Parker has tightness in his right Achilles.
(4) PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS. (5) MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Trail Blazers
Trending: Down. Portland lost its last four games and five of six. The Blazers have just one win against a playoff team – New Orleans – since beating Toronto on March 15.
Biggest Advantage: Three-pointers and rebounding. The Blazers took the third-most treys in the league and are eighth in percentage. Portland also is second in rebounds per game. Because the Blazers are so undermanned, they really need to excel at what they do best.
Biggest Disadvantage: Injuries. So many players are out or banged up, and deliberate, physical style of the Grizzlies won’t help at all.
Injuries: Okay, deep breath. G Wesley Matthews (torn Achilles) is done for the season. F Dorell Wright is out at least a few more weeks with a broken hand. G Arron Afflalo’s shoulder strain leaves him questionable for Game One. F LaMarcus Aldridge has been playing since January with a torn ligament in his thumb and also has a foot ailment. F Nicolas Batum will be questionable with a sore right knee. C Chris Kaman’s back is an issue, as is G C.J. McCollum’s ankle.
Grizzlies
Trending: Down. Memphis is 5-6 in its last 11 games, including 1-4 against West playoff teams.
Biggest Advantage: The Grizzlies’ interior edge and strong defense will serve them well in this series. C Marc Gasol and F Zach Randolph should have the advantage inside against Portland’s bigs, and Gs Mike Conley and Tony Allen helped the Grizzlies finish second in scoring defense and third in defensive rating.
Biggest Disadvantage: Memphis tends to ignore 3-pointers, a great equalizer in playoff series. The Grizzlies attempted the second fewest per game and finished 18th in opponents’ percentage from the arc. Portland was eighth in 3-point shooting and should try to win this series from deep.
Injuries: Conley has a bad ankle injury and won’t be 100 percent if he plays; he sat out important games at the end of the season. Allen has a hamstring injury that will also limit him. Gasol recently tweaked his ankle but appears OK. Randolph and fellow F Jeff Green have back issues.
(RELATED: SHERIDANHOOPS.COM STAFF PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS)
Shlomo Sprung is a national columnist for SheridanHoops who focuses on analytics, profiles and features. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. Follow him on Twitter.