Until they’re officially eliminated, the Lakers and Warriors — with their collection of superstars and collection of deep postseason runs — will always get floated as groups that could make a run.
But analyst Charles Barkley doesn’t think that’ll be the case this season.
During Thursday’s “Inside the NBA,” Barkley appeared to blast ESPN, which he didn’t specifically name but rather called TNT’s “sister network,” for using rhetoric that would suggest there’s a chance for those two teams.
“The West is going to go down to the wire,” Barkley said. “I mean, it’s simple. It’s gonna be fun to watch. … The idiots on the other network, keep talking about the Lakers and the Warriors like they got a chance.”
That prompted Shaquille O’Neal, one of the show’s analysts, to respond that — technically — the Lakers, in ninth place, and the Warriors, in 10th place, do still have an opportunity with the play-in tournament.
“The play-in’s not a real thing, just for the record,” Barkley replied. “That’s just something we made up, Shaq. It’s just like the CBI Tournament.”
Even amid an underwhelming season, Klay Thompson’s shift to the bench and Stephen Curry’s recent ankle injury, the Warriors have positioned themselves for meaningful games down the stretch after starting 21-15.
The Lakers overcame a midseason lull where their record dipped to 19-21, and LeBron James and Anthony Davis — averaging 25.2 and 24.7 points per game, respectively — have helped them win nine of their past 14 games.
And each of those franchises have appeared in the NBA Finals across the past four seasons, with the Warriors’ dynasty advancing to five consecutive championship series prior to that.
This time, though, they won’t get the Western Conference’s top seeds — with those belonging to the Nuggets, the Thunder, maybe even the Timberwolves.
They won’t have any home-court advantage.
There won’t be any Game 7s at Staples Center or at Chase Center.
Instead, their route to winning the Western Conference — to any series at all — for the Lakers and Warriors might rely on the play-in tournament.
“We’re just making up stuff,” Barkley said of the play-in tournament. “They should thank Adam Silver for making up some stuff. ‘Hey, let’s just add a couple of teams to the playoffs so the Lakers and Warriors can get in.’”
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Andrew Crane
