"I think it's got zero chance of working" - Charles Barkley Skeptical of Brooklyn Nets' new setup | NBA News
The anticipation ahead of the Brooklyn Nets' season was palpable before Kevin Durant was able to step foot on the floor alongside fellow superstar Kyrie Irving. Now the franchise has added a third offensive star in James Harden, the expectation on Steve Nash's shoulders to lead this devastating offense is immense.
Before Harden can suit up for his new side, almost every analyst has had their say in NBA News on how the Nets' situation could work, including Hall of Famer Charles Barkley.
NBA News: Charles Barkley believes Brooklyn Nets now have a lack of diversity on defense
Despite the excitement across the league caused by James Harden's move to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, there is also plenty of skepticism. Primarily, how Brooklyn's offense will operate with three of the league's best and most comfortable ball handlers is of concern.
The latest person to weigh in on the debate in NBA News was 1993 NBA MVP Charles Barkley, who appeared on the Dan Patrick show.
When asked whether he thought the three superstars could work together at the Brooklyn Nets, Barkley had this to say:
"I don't think its going to work at all because those other guys don't bring any diversity to the table. Those other two guys (Kyrie Irving and James Harden) are offensive players. They don't play defense, they don't rebound. I think its got zero chance of working."
James Harden has led the league in scoring for the past three seasons, though, like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, he likes to handle the ball. Regardless of the potential issues on defense, it will be interesting to see how the Brooklyn Nets offense will run going forward and who will be the go to guy or if that will fluctuate.
Skepticism of the move has developed in NBA News not only because of the fact that having three superstars can cause a battle of possession on offense, but furthermore, because the Brooklyn Nets have risked their future to win now.
With Kyrie's antics recently, it has been reported that to keep KD beyond this season, the Nets had no choice but to make a move for Harden, which Barkley also commented on:
"I think its what KD wanted to do. KD wanted Kyrie and now I think he realised now that, yeah this isn't going to work I better bring James in here as an insurance policy. Clearly KD is running the organization, so I think this was about what he wanted."
Whether the three players can work together remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, that however exciting the Brooklyn Nets season was expected to be, the level of that excitement just skyrocketed. This assembling of scoring talent is one of the greatest the league has ever seen and could just work out for Steve Nash's side.