The Cleveland Cavaliers are 40 games over .500, and we’re not even in mid-March.
That’s the sign of a championship-caliber team.
That’s why, as much as the national media still looks past them when talking about NBA championship contenders, Charles Barkley doesn’t feel that way.
Talking on TNT, the Hall of Fame power forward went on the record to state that Kenny Atkinson’s team would win the Eastern Conference because they were ‘fantastic.’
Charles Barkley on the Cavs:
โIโm gonna go right now on the record. The Cleveland Cavaliers are gonna win the Eastern Conference. They are fantastic.โ
pic.twitter.com/Ujx7RgXJRU— ยนโฐ (@HoodiGarland) March 2, 2025
Barkley claimed that he watched the Cavs twice last week, and while they’ve been great all season, he was still in awe of their game.
He thought they would have a letdown after their big comeback win over the Boston Celtics, but that certainly wasn’t the case.
Barkley also raved about their decision to trade for De’Andre Hunter, arguing that it was the missing piece they needed.
The Cavs have gone 50-10 this season, and most of their wins haven’t been close at all.
They’ve beaten championship contenders and bad teams alike, and they have made a habit out of kicking their opponents when they’re down.
Regardless of who’s playing or who’s out with an injury, they’ve played the same brand of selfless and high-IQ basketball night in and night out.
They’ve been much more physical than in past years, and they’re no longer the kind of team that will shy away from contact or be bullied out of a game.
The months keep passing by and they keep playing at an elite level, so even though Barkley has been wrong a lot of times in the past, he must love his chances with this prediction.
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