Spurs, Warriors on collision course

Let’s be honest about something. The 2015-16 National Basketball Association is a two-team league this season. Sure, 30 organizations are trying to sell false hope to their respective fan bases, but that is exactly what it is. In this edition of the NBA, only the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors are worth talking about.

Usually, there are a couple of teams that at least appear to be challengers to the top dog or dogs. This is the exception. Coming into their highly-anticipated matchup against each other on Monday night, the Spurs and Warriors are both undefeated in their home arenas. We are on the edge of February, and neither has lost a game in their own building. Who exactly is going to upend one of these two powers in the playoffs if not each other?

Without any question, Golden State is going to win the Pacific Division, while San Antonio runs away with the Southwest. The Warriors are entering Monday night with the unfathomable record of 40-4, while the Spurs are only two games off their blazing pace at 38-6. Both of these teams could legitimately win 70 games, and one would actually be the second seed in the Western Conference.

At this point, the rest of the NBA regular season and following playoffs are nothing more than academic. The Warriors are going to absolutely crush the first two teams they face with the talents of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry at their disposal. Meanwhile, the Spurs are going to completely lay waste to their initial pair of foes, with a roster that includes Tim Duncan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and a deep bench.

To top it all off, both teams know how to win. Golden State won the NBA Finals last year, knocking off the Cleveland Cavaliers in six relatively easy games. The Spurs have won five championships in the Gregg Popovich era and could be earning a sixth by the conclusion of this spring. When it comes to a critical moment in May and June, neither one of these groups will flinch under the harsh glare of the spotlight.

In the final analysis, the Eastern Conference playoffs should not even be televised. The Cavaliers are going to reach the Finals for the second straight year, and for the second straight year, it will resemble a murder scene. Cleveland has LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love … and no chance. The Cavaliers will be lucky to win two games against either the Spurs or Warriors.

These two are going to meet in the Western Conference Finals, and the Larry O’Brien Trophy might as well be handed to the winner, then and there. San Antonio and Golden State are on a collision course, and it is a beautiful thing.