Charles Barkley boldly picks the Portland Trail Blazers as a championship contender if season resumes. The NBA analyst points to health as biggest factor.
1977 Portland Trail Blazers. 2004 Detroit Pistons. 2011 Dallas Mavericks.
Those teams were not dynasties and but they won an NBA championship. Like the current Portland Trail Blazers, they were arguably “sleeper” teams or teams no one expected to win.
On Monday’s episode of ESPN’s “Get Up!”, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley picked the Portland Trail Blazers as one of his surprise teams to win the NBA championship this year. He said if Blazers’ Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins returned from injury, no one would want to play them.
Barkley made the same comments in February on an episode of “Inside the NBA” explaining that Portland could be a threat if they were healthy.
Well said, Barkley—who predicted the 2011 Mavericks would win the championship.
The Blazers’ roster is scarily different from prior years. No offense to players that left such as Al-Farouq Aminu, Meyers Leonard or Evan Turner – because we love and miss all of you guys—but Rip City needed more players that put fear into other teams.
Carmelo Anthony. Trevor Ariza. Hassan Whiteside.
10-time NBA All-Star. NBA Champion. 2016 NBA Blocks Leader.
Basketball fans know those names and their clout.
Additionally, injuries will not be a big factor in the playoffs this year. Throughout NBA playoff history, injuries have played a significant role in the demise and success of NBA teams. Last year’s NBA Finals would have been completely different if Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson were healthy.
The long hiatus from sports due the COVID-19 pandemic allowed players like Nurkic and Collins to get healthy. NBA fans will now get to see the true mettle of teams with no excuses.
Certainly the Blazers would love to have Rodney Hood but his injury will not be an excuse if the Blazers aren’t successful in the playoffs. They have talented players, veteran leadership, skilled young players and playoff experience.
Some superb coaching, mental toughness and a defensive paradigm shift would make this team unstoppable. Hopefully, the Blazers have been working on their weak areas during the break in preparation for the return of the NBA season and to make a serious run.
The time is now. The mix of past disappointments, healthiness and doubters should be all the motivation to get it done and be the dark horse few saw coming like the 1977 Trail Blazers.