The Loop
Charles Barkley's latest "guarantee" would bring great joy to Golden State Warriors haters
Charles Barkley has never and will never shy away from a bold take. Whether it's a brutally honest assessment of what could stop the Golden State Warriors, an odd roast of Kevin Durant after a 51-point performance, or straight up telling a small child he was going to punch him in his left eye, the guy has turned saying exactly what's on his mind into an art form.
The thing is, in the midst of all his wackiness, his actual basketball takes are often insightful and serious. That goes for all the guys on the NBA on TNT. When they actually talk basketball, people listen. Unfortunately, some of the social media attention goes to Chuck's "guarantees," which can sometimes be both weak and mathematically-challenged. However, his latest guarantee was neither weak, nor mathematically-challenged, and it would be a welcome sight to NBA fans, specifically those who have had enough of the Golden State Warriors:
Now, considering the Nuggets are currently first in the Western Conference Finals and in the midst of a dream season, this may hardly seem like a "bold" guarantee. But you also have to take into account how the Houston Rockets and James Harden are playing right now, as well as the fact that, do we really think Golden State is not going to get to the Finals again? I'm all for the chaos with the Warriors right now, and would love to see a new Western Conference Finals matchup and Finals matchup, but I'm not foolish enough to think they can't get it right and run through everybody in the playoffs like usual.
That being said, we could still get Nuggets-Warriors in the WCF if they are the 1 and 2 seeds, so, much like his weak Kings guarantee from earlier this season, Charles isn't going out on too far a limb. He didn't say the Nuggets would beat the Warriors in an earlier round to get there. But I speak for many NBA fans when I say sign me up for Nuggets-Rockets, Nuggets-Thunder or ... wait for it ... Nuggets-Lakers? I'll take anything.