With half of the 2018-19 season on the books, there is a tight race in playoff positioning for both the Eastern and Western Conferences. However, while other teams are being led by a star or two, other teams had to rely on a mixture of young talent and veteran leadership to stay in the postseason hunt. According to SBNation writer Kristian Winfield, NBA Analyst Charles Barkley gave huge props to three teams for the hard work and effort they've put in this season.
Charles Barkley on TNT just now: “If you look at the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets, the Clippers and the Miami Heat are the hardest working teams in the NBA.”
Shaq and Kenny go on to say you look at their talent, but they play hard which is why they’re about .500.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) January 11, 2019
Barkley and his fellow analysts recognize these teams' ability to win, despite not having a legitimate superstar on their roster.
The Clippers are currently the fourth best team in the West, with a 25-17 record.
In the East, the Nets, who started the season with a losing record, recently racked up wins and are now the seventh best team in the East with . Meanwhile, the Heat are placed sixth (20-20 record).
In a league dominated mostly by teams with one or multiple All-Stars, the Clippers, Nets and Heat have been relying on total team effort to win games.
The Clippers are led by guys like Lou Williams, Tobias Harris and Montrezl Harrell. Talented players, no doubt. However, as Barkley has likely noted there isn't an All-Star (selection) between them.
The Nets have put the present and the future of the team on the shoulders of young guys like D'Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddle and Jarrett Allen. The Heat, who play with some of the familiar physicality of Barkley's era, remain competitive behind future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, Justice Winslow and Hassan Whiteside.
It will be interesting to see if the teams can keep winning games with the second half of the season already underway.
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