This year, the Celtics are making a name for themselves unlike any other.
And Charles Barkley has had enough, with 20 games remaining in the regular season in 2023–24. The Hall of Famer stated on Thursday that Boston would be disappointed if they didn’t win an NBA championship.
During TNT’s NBA pregame broadcast, Charles Barkley declared, “If [the Celtics] don’t win a championship this year it would be a total gag job.” “They’ve got everything.”
Not quite one of Barkley’s trademark assurances, though. However, his statement serves as a reminder that Boston must overcome its current setbacks in order to win its first NBA championship since 2008.
This season, the Celtics have been the best NBA team, and it hasn’t been close. They have the best offensive rating in NBA history and have given the top seed in the East an eight-game lead.
In his analysis of Boston’s supremacy on “Inside the NBA,” Barkley highlighted the team’s new third option, Kristaps Porzingis, as well as the All-Star combination of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“They had everything. With Brown and Tatum, you arguably have two of the top ten players in the league. Jrue Holiday is an excellent leader you have.
“Despite being a starter, Porzingis is arguably the best player in the NBA who isn’t a No. 1 or No. 2 option. Derrick White can then be included as well.”
After Boston missed out on the 2023 NBA Finals by one game, they made two significant summer additions: Holiday and Porzingis, who is averaging 20.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.
The six-man core of Brown, Holiday, Porzingis, Tatum, Derrick White, and Al Horford leads the Celtics. However, Barkley was questioned by TNT’s Ernie Johnson about Boston’s depth—or lack thereof.
The 61-year-old Barkley said that “you only play five players,” thus the Celtics’ bench problems are exaggerated and should not be significant. In the postseason, he said, rotations are reduced to seven or eight players. He even proposed the extremely improbable idea of starting Porzingis off the bench.
Despite any concerns about depth, Barkley stated unequivocally that he believes Boston will be the last club remaining in June.
“I will be shocked if the Celtics don’t win — because they’ve got it all.”
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