Charles Barkley believes Brooklyn Nets are one of the most fascinating teams in his 30-40 years in NBA: "They could win the championship or get a new coach by Christmas"
After a chaotic offseason, the Brooklyn Nets were one of the most talked about teams as this NBA season begins. Between the questionable headspace of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and the return of Ben Simmons, there are endless possibilities of how the year can play out for them.
Through their first three games, it's been a rocky start for Brooklyn. They sit at 1-2 and have a ton of glaring issues. One of those is Simmons, who has fouled out in two of the three contests.
When KD and Irving first signed with the Nets in 2019, they were expected to be a perennial finals contender. For multiple reasons, that has not been the case. However, because of the talent on the roster, they are always in the conversation.
Recently, Charles Barkley sat down with Bill Simmons on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" to discuss an array of topics. During the interview, he opened up on why this Brooklyn team is one of the most fascinating groups in the last 30 years.
"They could win the championship, or they could get a new coach by Christmas," Barkley said. "It's one of the most fascinating things I've seen in my 30-40 years in the NBA basically.
"If they won the championship, I wouldn't be surprised. If they got their coach fired by Christmas, I wouldn't be surprised. It's like one of those trainwrecks that you're like, 'Oh, I got to watch this.'"
Should the Brooklyn Nets be in the title conversation?
Charles Barkley might feel the Brooklyn Nets can make a run at the NBA title, but the question needs to be asked if they belong in the contender tier. While they might have the top-end talent to get it done, they lack the other intangiables that come with winning the championship.
The questions start at the top with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. After both wanted out of Brooklyn this offseason, it's hard to say if they are fully invested in chasing a title. If the stars aren't fully locked in on a common goal, it will trickle down to the rest of the team.
Another reason why Brooklyn shouldn't be in the conversation is because of what Barkley mentioned. Because of all the question marks with this team, it is impossible to predict how things will unfold for them.
Typically, when teams are in the title picture, they are a clear-cut contender. Since analysts like Barkley are debating if their coach is going to be fired, it's evident people are preparing for the worst. Weighing all these factors, it's hard to realistically view them as a title favorite.
There is no denying that the Nets have the talent on their roster to go all the way, but it's the other factors that are too much to overlook. Until they go out and prove it, they shouldn't be placed in the top tier of NBA teams.