Getty CBS commentator Charles Barkley looks on during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal between the Auburn Tigers and the Virginia Cavaliers.
NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley was asked on ESPN’s Get Up by Jalen Rose if DeMarcus Cousin’s injury affects who he thinks will win the Western Conference. The former All-Star didn’t blink, telling Rose and company not to sleep “on the Portland Trail Blazers.”
While he said that Cousins potential season-ending quad injury does affect the Warriors chances “to a certain degree,” he picked Portland before anything happened with the Golden State center.
Forget the Warriors, Charles Barkley says the Trail Blazers are coming out the West.
“Jalen, you’re sleeping on the Portland Trail Blazers,” Barkley said. “They were my pick to get out of the West, I still think they will get out of the West.”
It would be just the 4th NBA Finals in the franchise’s history. Portland won the title with Bill Walton in 1976-77, and lost to the Pistons in 1990 and the Bulls in 1992.
Later in the show, he stated that the additions of Enes Kanter and Rodney Hood were crucial for solidifying their chances at reaching the NBA Finals. So far, his pick is looking good. The Trail Blazers took the first 2 games at home against the Thunder, including a 20-point win on Tuesday night.
Oklahoma City swept the season series, but 116 combined points from guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum in the first 2 games have fueled victories. Kanter was a force in Game 1, tallying 20 points and 18 rebounds against his former team.
Barkley is picking against most oddsmakers at the moment. ESPN gives the Trail Blazers just a 5.4 percent chance at winning the NBA title, while FiveThirtyEight gives them just a 1 percent chance at even making the Finals.
If they can dispose of the Thunder quickly in this 1st round, the next round’s opponents will be the winner of San Antonio and Denver, which currently looks like a dogfight of a series tied 1-1. Portland lost the season series to the Nuggets 3-1, while it split against the Spurs in 4 meetings.
The Trail Blazers get a chance to build a 3-0 lead tomorrow, as they visit Oklahoma City for a 9:30 p.m. EST tipoff on ESPN.