Charles Barkley is not confident about the Boston Celtics winning the NBA championship this season. Barkley noted that he has concerns about the team’s performance without Kristaps Porzingis and that the Celtics’ recent performances have caused him to worry about their chances.
“You know what. Last night was the first time, because I picked them to win the championship, last night I said, they can’t win the championship without Porzingis. They cannot win the championship without him.”
“[Last night] was the first time I said, 'I don’t know if they can win the championship.' … They’ve got no ball movement… they win games strictly on talent and that’s not going to work against a better team.”
Chuck on the Boston Celtics 👀 pic.twitter.com/sQMoC40zIU
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 27, 2024
Barkley added that while Al Horford had done an admirable job as the Celtics’ primary big man, he saw holes in the Celtics’ game that he pointed out. He mentioned that the Celtics can win games because of their talent, but that would not work against a better team
“Because… they need the half-court scoring. Al [Horford] made all the shots, but let me tell you something, that was the first time I said, ‘I don’t know if they can win the championship’. Because all they do is go one-on-one. They got no ball movement, no body movement. They win games strictly on talent. And that’s not going to work against a better team.”
The Celtics eeked out a 114-111 win over the Pacers last night to take a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. It is important to mention that Pacers’ star Tyrese Haliburton was ruled out of the game due to an injury he picked up in Game 2, which severely limited the Pacers.
Jayson Tatum led the team, putting up 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. Jaylen Brown also contributed 24 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. While Jrue Holiday didn’t light up the scoresheet with points, scoring just 14 points, he was a big contributor defensively, as he had 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block to help the Celtics keep the Pacers at bay.
Can The Boston Celtics Win Without Kristaps Porzingis?
There have been concerns about the Celtics’ championship chances during the playoffs. Kristaps Porzingis was brought into the Celtics this season to be the final piece of what they hoped was a championship roster. But after he sustained an injury in the first round, there were doubts about whether he would return to the Celtics during these playoffs.
Porzingis was solid for the Celtics this season, averaging 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. And his defensive contribution, averaging 0.7 steals and 1.9 blocks per game cannot be ignored. Since his injury, the Celtics have been able to stay afloat and the playoffs, and even thrive.
But their limitations might be exposed in the NBA Finals when they take on what will be the best team in the Western Conference, whether that be the Mavericks or the Timberwolves.
For the Celtics, if Porzingis is likely to miss the rest of the playoffs, they will need Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to step up and deliver at a level higher than they have ever played at.
The duo have had good games during the playoffs, but Jayson Tatum has struggled with consistency during this run, something that will need to change if and when the Celtics reach the NBA Finals.
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