Charles Barkley has identified the NBA’s top team of the season as he crowned the Oklahoma City Thunder as the best team in the Eastern Conference. During a recent segment, the Hall of Famer praised the team for their dominance sharing that they have unmatched chemistry, elite gameplay, and depth for which they are the toughest competitors in the league. However, his praise for the team came with a stark warning as he asserted that injury concerns may have an impact on the team in the future but so far they are standing over all odds.
Charles Barkley will never shy away from bold statements as he continues to be one of the NBA’s highly recognized voices. Drawing from his years of experience on the court, the former Phoenix Suns standout offers sharp insights into the league’s current scenario. Recently, Barkley didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts on which team stands out as the best this season. “OKC is the best team in the NBA,” Barkley said on Inside the NBA show. The crew was discussing the top-performing teams and the NBA legend showered his praise for Oklahoma City Thunder.
Of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers would immediately pop up in anyone’s mind considering their dominant gameplay this season so far as they have even more wins than the Thunders. When one of the crew asked about the Cavs, Barkley clarified the confusion, “No, I’m talking about the West.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers vs. OKC Thunder game on January 8 has created much hype among NBA fans and analysts as the two of the best teams in the league collide in an intense battle. “Let me tell you something. I can’t wait to watch that game. I’m getting my pop corn ready, Cleveland vs. OKC,” Barkley said of the game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavaliers have defeated the Thunder with 129-122. Now, the Cavs have 32 wins and 4 defeats while the Thunder are standing at 30-6.
Back to the Thunder, Barkley did not pick Thunder to crown as the best team in the league out of thin air, he had a clear explanation for that. The 61-year-old shared that they have impressive gameplay and stunning winning stats. He was also impressed by their recent win over Celtics (105-92).
“I watched that game the other night, OKC against Boston. OKC, they’ve won 15 in a row. Shai Gilgeous is flat out balling. And they’re not even healthy. That’s what’s scary,” Barkley stated.
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Additionally, Barkley stated that the Denver Nuggets have the potential to make a move as they have their star players including Nikola Jokic. “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to watch this guy play every night. He just loves to play basketball,” Barkley said on the show. “They’ve got to do something about their bench, ’cause he’s too great a player. They got to make a trade. The team has gotten weaker on the bench, they got to make a trade,” he added.
Certainly, Jokic alone can’t lift the team higher on the ladder but the collective efforts of other players, as Barkley believes, would make a difference.
