With the way the first rounds of the playoffs are progressing, the Inside Guys are getting bolder with their analysis. Shaquille O’Neal is already seeing which way the Western Conference Finals will go. Charles Barkley may agree but he is not going to jump that far ahead. He’s looking at the Pelicans-Thunder series and he thinks there’s a clear winner there. Unfortunately, it’s not New Orleans that’s down 2-0.

Barkley might be implying that the Pelicans don’t even have a shot at turning the series around while their best player is injured. “Oklahoma City is just better without Zion.” He did not mistakenly put Zion Williamson in Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s bluntly stating that while Williamson’s hamstring injury benched him for weeks, the Pelicans have no shot at taking on a team like Thunder.

As they are, Shaq sees OKC as the top contender for the Western Conference title. Barkley as well as Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith also agree they are a very well-put together team. But if Williamson comes off the bench, OKC’s chances could dwindle.

A week since Williamson’s break, reports surfaced that he’s been focused on conditioning. The team hasn’t ruled out the possibility that the Williamson could return to the playoffs if he passes the tests and get back to baseline. If the Pelicans are still in the running, he could be the upset no one saw coming except Barkley.

After saying the Pelicans are incomplete without Zion, Chuck added, “He was the best in my opinion.” He was on an impressive streak before the injury but while he’s out, Chuck predicts that OKC will, “win this series in four or five games.” He’s sticking to his opinion too.

Chuck’s focus is Zion-shaped

Unlike Shaq, Barkley is stopping short of calling the Western Conference Finalists. He however said, “New Orleans, I don’t think they can win this series,” after OKC won two straight games. He wasn’t impressed with OKC’s hard-won but poorly played Game 1, but he pretty much called the series after Game 2 in OKC’s favor.

He’s been on Zion’s case for that. He didn’t just give a hilarious live demonstration to him on how to fall to prevent injuries, he called it a tragic mistake he didn’t pay attention to conditioning sooner. Barkley was harsh claiming Williamson alone cost his team in the playoffs.

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His critiques aren’t going unheard. Williamson is trying to return to the court sooner than everyone predicts. That is if the Pelicans are still in the running.