The Sixers and the Warriors

At long last, one streak has finally been broken. The Philly 76ers had started the season 0-18, but finally managed to get a win. Who did they beat? The LA Lakers of course, somewhat handily.

The late Jerry Buss must be twitching in his grave. How could the once so proud franchise he owned for so long have sunk to such depths? The Lakers have gone from showtime to blowtime, smoke to joke. It's no longer a question if they're the best team in their own building -- they are decidedly not with the Clippers also calling Staples Center home -- it's whether or not they're the worst team in the entire league. Plankton. And they just might be. Getting hammered by the 76ers? Really?

On the other hand are the Golden State Warriors. They just bopped Charlotte to go 20-0 to start the season. Few doubted the Warriors would be the class of the league this year. Fresh off a very convincing NBA championship and still young, the only question with the Warriors (barring injuries) was whether they would remain motivated. 20-0 pretty well answers that with an exclamation point.

Next up for Steph Curry and Co. are the Toronto Raptors, the third game of a seven game road trip for the Warriors. The Raptors are no slouches, leading their own division. Could this spell the end of GS's winning streak? Maybe, but probably not. And while anything can happen in any given game -- their remaining four games on the road trip aren't exactly against top-flight competition. Then the Warriors go home for a five game stretch. So wouldn't it be something if they were 30-0 to ring in the New Year? The talking heads would hyperventilate and the wise guys (bookies) in Vegas would be doing a healthy business setting odds and taking bets on which game would be the Warriors' first loss. Surely they'll lose one eventually -- right?

But if they stay clean until then-- no given -- there's one game that everybody will be watching, likely including Santa Claus as he's back at the North Pole recuperating from his rounds the previous night. Hey, if he can give away TVs, Saint Nick has to at least have cable or a dish himself -- right?

On Christmas day the Warriors will host the Cleveland Cavaliers. You know, Lebron and that bunch. The same guys that got lit up by the Warriors in the NBA finals last year. At that point GS could conceivably be 28-0. And you just know the Cavs want another crack at them, especially considering they had some key players out with injuries in the Finals last June. If they're healthy, Santa will have given NBA fans a terrific Christmas present indeed.

Idle thought. While Golden State head coach Steve Kerr remains on the IR rehabbing a bad back, Luke Walton (Bill's boy) has stepped up as interim coach. But Steve gets the official coaching credit for all the wins.

Thing is, Luke, you, I, or the widow lady next door could step in and "coach" the Warriors. They're going to win anyway, pretty much on autopilot. These guys are just that good.

For coaches, it's all about being incredibly lucky enough to land in the right place at the right time.