The Warriors really are must-see basketball. After setting records all season, the first game of the Western Conference Finals between the Luka Doncic-led Mavericks and Golden State saw a huge ratings spike in TNT’s broadcasting, boasting a better watcher turnout than Heat-Celtics the day before for the East’s Finals. The ratings were also a big jump from last year’s WCF.

While the Warriors and Mavericks series has been hyped up a lot the past few days, there has to be credit given to TNT’s infamous “Inside the NBA” show, arguably the greatest sports analysis show to ever air. The “Inside” crew was joined postgame last night by Draymond Green after Golden State’s convincing victory, and naturally, the now-Turner employee had his usual great chemistry with Ernie, Shaq, Chuck, and Kenny.

This series was chalked up to be a challenge for both parties, and while it didn’t quite deliver as much in Game 1, it’s worth noting that the Mavericks were down in all their prior playoff series so far in this postseason. This Warriors team, a gritty and locked-in defense captained by one of the best defenders of all time and spearheaded by one of the best defensive coaches of all time, is a true test of Luka’s playoff tenacity. The Utah Jazz didn’t provide much of a challenge once Luka was healthy enough to actually play, and the Suns will likely finish up alongside the Atlanta Hawks in 2015 as one of the most overrated 1-seeds ever.

This series will also reveal a lot about the Warriors, however. They’ve thrived off of the little things through the playoffs, such as rebounding and defensive efforts in addition to taking what the defense gives them in terms of shooting the mid-range. While Dallas is an improved defensive team from the start of the year, they don’t force turnovers like the Grizzlies did, so the Dubs can get away with losing the ball a few times. This would be a good opportunity to clean up those mistakes, because while Dallas won’t always capitalize, both Boston and Miami do.

Regardless, however, it’s become clear that the NBA playoffs are just better when the Warriors are in them. Steph Curry’s impact remains underrated as narratives are constantly pushed to discredit how big he’s been for this team in every facet of the game while his shot isn’t falling. Curry has established himself this season as easily more than just an all-time scorer: He’s rebounded well, kicked up his on-ball defensive efforts to a noticeably higher notch (even picking Luka a couple times in Game 1), and has been an effective passer.

Steph has led the Warriors to rake in the league’s best ratings, and he hasn’t even had that one game yet. The one game where he blows it wide open by a barrage of circus threes that only he can accomplish. Steph’s dominance is demoralizing for opponents because it’s just an avalanche of buckets you can’t make adjustments to stop. Picking him up 94 feet means someone else has a free shot, and leaving him on an island means he’s going to cook whoever’s in front of him as one of the NBA’s best 1-on-1 guys.

Golden State in the playoffs is easily must-see TV, and the ratings are proving as much. The best show in basketball is back in a big way, and if they take care of business to make the Finals once again this season, there’s going to be even better ratings coming - and a lot more discussions about who the top dogs of all time really are.

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