San Antonio Spurs veteran Harrison Barnes isn't shying away from admitting to what the rest of the NBA sees. The Oklahoma City Thunder's fantastic start off the heels of their NBA championship puts them in a league of their own. For now. The reality is that ‘now' could change before long.

“We're on a collision course with this team,” Barnes said directly ahead of the second meeting between the two teams.

“It's a great opportunity for us, honestly,” the 14th-year veteran continued. “Obviously, OKC is a good team. They've had an unbelievable couple of years, and as we continue to just build and grow what we're trying to do here, I think it's a great way to keep us sharp.”

The Spurs and Thunder met recently in the NBA Cup semifinals. It marked only Oklahoma City's second loss of the season through their first 26 games. They'll see each other again in the next contest for both on Christmas Day, making a third meeting in two-plus weeks.

“Playing them, playing them again in a couple of days, playing them again after playing them in the Cup, right?” Barnes added. “So it's good for us to continue to get these opportunities to have this preparation.”

Harrison Barnes breaks down Spurs-Thunder similarities

Barnes didn't play coy when asked his thoughts on the NBA's attempt to build Spurs-Thunder in a rivalry.

“Both teams have young nucleuses that want to win and want to play at a high level, both in the West, so I think in order to achieve the ultimate goal, which is to hang another banner, we're both pursuing the same thing. So, yeah, I mean, you could see that.”

The 33-year-old forward also noted a big difference.

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“Obviously, they won a championship last year. They're healthy,” Barnes also exclaimed. “When you have two teams that have high aspirations of where they want to go and what they want to do and obviously, I think the age factor too, right!

“Outside of myself, most of these guys are all around the same age. So, there's just familiarity built within them, whether it's playing in high school or college or just different things like that.”

The Spurs knocked off Oklahoma City once last year. The Thunder won the other three match-ups; two of them were competitive between the eventual champion and a team that would finish with 34 wins after season-ending injuries to Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox.

“I think it's the familiarity,” Barnes noted. “We've played OKC a lot in the past years. There's that competition, and both teams wanting more.”

While the Thunder lead the West after having already conquered the league, for the Spurs, these back-to-back games against the best provide a measuring stick.

“I think it allows you to see what your will is, right? And I think the details start to become known on both sides,” Barnes admitted. “And I think when you start doing that, it gives you, not necessarily a playoff series type of vibe, but you start to become very familiar with your opponent. How they play, they know how we play, and it just becomes a who just wants it more.”

It's a reality Barnes and the Spurs hope serves them well against the Thunder down the road.