It’s official. The Mavericks and Clippers are going to kick off the playoffs. Till we know where this game is going to be, the TNT crew discussed who’s got the edge. For most of them, the Clippers are unpredictable depending on the statuses of the players. But when it comes to Dallas, Charles Barkley sums up the general consensus.

“He owns them,” Chuck stated. The ‘he’ in question is Luka Doncic who is a tough mountain to climb in a playoff. He believes the most the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combination will do is slow Doncic down. Barkley, who’s been giving the Clippers the benefit of the doubt lately, surprised the TNT crew for his new take. Ernie even asked if he’s off the Clippers bandwagon officially.

Barkley, referencing Shaq’s previous comments, confirmed that between the regular season and the playoffs, he’s staying realistic. “I been on the Clippers bandwagon all year… Shaq just said it, I never know which Clippers team is gonna show up… I do know one thing about the Mavs… Kyrie & Luka are gonna score on anybody.”

The question was initially posed to Shaquille O’Neal who set the stage for Barkley’s opinion. “Dallas is a very dangerous team… Depends on which Clippers team is going to show up.” He’s usually attributed the Clippers’ success to Kawhi Leonard but he missed a few games recently to rest out an injury. Unexpectedly, James Harden took charge, started scoring double digits, and shared the offensive load with Paul George. But he also says when you’re facing Dallas, you have to be at your best. Which Clippers have been inconsistent with.

Chuck is the harshest critic of the Clippers players on Inside the NBA but he’s also their most vocal cheerleader. The only reason his opinion has done a 180 is because of their next opponent.

Chuck’s Luka Doncic opinion also flip-flops

Only a few days into 2024, he had his co-analysts drew back and clutch their pearls when he claimed the Clippers are “scariest team in the West.” Before that, he ranked them above the Warriors who he still feels is the weakest team in California. But it’s also a new and improved Mavericks where Kyrie Irving has built an effective on-court chemistry with Doncic.

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Chuck sees the numbers are on Doncic’s side who has a history of averaging 32.5 points per game in playoffs. Shortly after the trade deadline, Dallas was in a slump and had a poor defensive rating while Doncic individually averaged league-best stats. Barkley slammed Doncic for not passing and utilizing his teammates enough in defense.

Shaq had not agreed back then but currently, he doesn’t think Doncic is MVP contender. An opinion contrary to almost the entire league. When the playoffs begin, their predictions hinge on what kind of Clippers come to play.

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