“Not Gonna Get On TV and Make Up Stuff”: Charles Barkley Refuses to Agree With Shaquille O’Neal on Nuggets’ West Prospects

Joseph Galizia | 14/03/2025
Charles Barkley(L) and Nikola Jokic(R)

As the 2024-2025 NBA season nears the playoffs, a looming question needs to be answered. Who is the second best team in the West? That’s what Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and the rest of the ‘Inside the NBA’ crew tried to figure out on today’s broadcast ahead of the Warriors vs. Kings matchup.

The top seeded OKC Thunder still hold the title of ‘Best In The West’. The squad is 52-12 and are 8-2 in their last 10 matchups. But following the trade deadline, several teams are edging for that second place spot. One contender who constantly gets mentioned is the Denver Nuggets, led by the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic. The NBA on TNT gang agreed, except for good ole Chuck.

“I actually don’t know who the second best team is,” stated Barkley before declaring that OKC was above everyone else. “I’m not gonna get on TV and make stuff up.” The standings were then displayed, showing the Grizzlies currently hold that #2 spot but neither Chuck, nor the rest of the crew, think the Grizzlies are to be taken seriously. The Diesel once again brought up the Nuggets to his on-screen rival.

“You don’t like Denver?” Shaq asked Barkley. “Did you see what Minnesota went in and did last night?” responded Chuck.  “And that was without Karl Anthony-Towns.” Chuck does have a point. The Wolves stomped the Nuggets in Denver 115-95 just a day ago, and have had their number ever since they shocked them in last year’s playoffs. They’ve also won six straight.

Aside from the Wolves there’s the Warriors and Rockets who are also on winning streaks. The Dubs have grown stronger ever since Jimmy Butler joined the team, inspiring Steph to play some of his best ball all year. In Houston, Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green are putting it together right at the right time.

That said, the Nuggets can never be counted out. Jokic is ‘gonna Jokic’, and Jamal Murray is a different animal in the playoffs. The real dark horse is a resurged Russell Westbrook, who is still chasing the one thing that has alluded him in his prestigious NBA career, a ring. Denver is his best chance to do it since the OG Thunder featuring him, Harden, and Durant.

The Wolves continue to feast in Denver

The Nuggets are still likely to perform well in the playoffs, but they need to figure out the Timberwolves problem. The team’s psychology is completely thrown off when Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert come to town, and even has Jokic feeling off his game.

“When someone beats you so many times in a row, it’s something you need to figure it out. You need to think about it,” said the Joker to the press after the loss. It didn’t help that the Nugs had a pretty ineffective offensive scheme against their potential new rivals.

That’s because the Wolves were over-prepared defensively. Gobert and company negated a ton of passing lanes inside the arc when the Nuggets had possession and were forcing anyone not named Jokic to try and beat them. Michael Malone deserves his flowers, but he needs to gameplan a little better or else ANT will be sending them packing for the second straight year.

Post Edited By: Samir Mehdi
Charles Barkley Nikola Jokic Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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