The Inside the NBA crew unanimously agreed during a segment that the Oklahoma City Thunder are the best team in the Western Conference. However, opinions differed when it came to the second-best team. Interestingly, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley were in agreement as they displayed their faith in the Denver Nuggets.
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Right after Kenny Smith declared that Ja Morant’s Grizzlies were the best side behind the Thunder, Shaq claimed that the Colorado side deserves the title because of Jamal Murray’s recent return from injury.
“Denver, because Jamal’s been stepping it up the last couple games,” Shaq said.
Barkley was on the same page as O’Neal. But he still felt that the team had one weakness – a lack of bench strength. Hence, he suggested that the front office should add a strong reserve player to help the team achieve their championship aspirations.
“I agree with you… But I still think they need one guy off the bench. They gave all their bench away, and I think that’s the one thing, that’s their one weakness. Because just those two great players, I don’t think it’s gonna get you through all those rounds. That’s just my opinion,” Barkley said.
“Who’s the second best team in the west?”
The Fellas talk Rockets, Thunder, Nuggets, and Grizzlies ️ pic.twitter.com/8MlRFzPIh1
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 21, 2025
The Hall-of-Famer has a valid point regarding the team’s second unit struggles. Despite the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray duo steering the team to an impressive 4th spot in the stacked Western Conference, the bench has been underperforming. The reserves have one of the lowest contributions in the league, averaging just 28.5 points per game.
The Nuggets are exploring options for a key rotational player
The Denver Nuggets are reportedly considering a move to reacquire Bruce Brown to improve their bench strength. Brown was a key contributor to the team’s 2023 championship success, averaging 11.5 points per game in the regular season and 12 points per game during the playoffs.
“The Nuggets have long been interested in reuniting with Brown, who was instrumental in their 2023 championship run,” NBA insider Brett Siegel reported.
However, bringing Brown back is a risk. The guard has been largely inactive this season, appearing in only nine games due to a knee injury. During that limited stretch, he has averaged just 7.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
