Charles Barkley did not stutter about 'best team in the NBA'
Yesterday at 10:39 AM
Charles Barkley is no stranger to giving his NBA opinion, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are the newest on the list. On Inside the NBA, Barkley dropped a simple message about who he thinks the top team in the NBA is. “OKC is the best team in the NBA,” Barkley said.
The 30-5 Thunder have been at the top of the league since the season started. They’re 11th in scoring but allow the fewest points per game. Furthermore, Oklahoma City’s youthful core has serious potential. After securing the No. 1 seed last season, they went to the Western Conference Semifinals. Although they were eliminated by the experienced Dallas Mavericks, the potential was there.
However, this isn’t the first time the Inside the NBA host has made comments about Oklahoma City. Four weeks ago, Barkley explained why the Thunder are the favorites to win the West. Fast forward to writing this, and his sentiment remains the same. Even with teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets, Barkley remains confident.
Charles Barkley’s comments about the Thunder are valid
Even with a major injury to Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City has been on fire. They’ve been defensively-oriented led by head coach Mark Daigneault. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is performing at an MVP level once again. Also, Jalen Williams has increased his role to being the No. 2 scoring option.
Plus, the Thunder signed Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, which has given them a strong presence inside. Oklahoma City had issues rebounding last season, and part of that issue has been fixed. Still, they’ve been elite defensively. They have the top defensive rating in the league.
Furthermore, opponent points off of turnovers, points in the paint, and fast break points are all led by the Thunder’s defense. They have the fewest points per game in those respective categories. That, combined with an MVP candidate in Gilgeous-Alexander is a recipe for success.
Even with the 30-5 record, there’s plenty of season left. Teams like the Grizzlies and Houston Rockets are catching up to Oklahoma City. However, there’s a clear separation of those teams thanks to defense. Barkley has called his shot from the beginning.
With that being said, there’s a running joke about Charles Barkley’s predictions turning out wrong. He might not be wrong with this one though. When the regular season concludes, this conversation will likely be revisited. Barkley could end up saying ‘I told you so’ to his colleagues about the Thunder’s success.
The post Charles Barkley did not stutter about ‘best team in the NBA’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.
