Charles Barkley Has Words About Top NBA Contender

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated May 4, 2025 9:39 AM ET

While NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal is "leaning towards" the Denver Nuggets in their upcoming playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Charles Barkley has a different opinion.

The Nuggets survived a grueling seven-game series against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and are now heading to the Western Conference semifinals to face the top-seeded Thunder.

While the Nuggets have championship experience and are being led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, the Thunder pose a serious threat considering their depth and star power. MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a phenomenal 2024-25 run in the regular season, finishing as the scoring champion with 32.7 points per game.

Considering what Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC have shown so far, Barkley believes no other team in the West can beat the Thunder.

"I'm going OKC," Barkley said during Saturday's broadcast of "Inside the NBA" as the crew talked about their picks for the Nuggets-Thunder series.

"I have not seen anything in the Western Conference that make me think anybody can beat OKC."

Shaq's taking Denver, while Chuck's rockin' with OKC in the second round pic.twitter.com/mBL8zjQH0s
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2025

Barkley proceeded to explain his stance, sharing his belief that the Thunder have the "best bench" in the NBA. The 11-time All-Star said it's a huge advantage against a Denver team that "has not been anything with their bench."

It remains to be seen if Barkley is correct with his analysis, but fans won't have to wait long to see it. After all, the Nuggets-Thunder series starts on Monday.

Whatever the case may be, fans can definitely expect an intense series — especially considering the fact that the Nuggets and Thunder split their season series in 2024-25. Denver even won their last meeting in March, 140-127.

Game 1 begins at 9:30 p.m. ET Monday in Oklahoma City and will be televised by TNT.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: