TNT analyst Charles Barkley had some strong opinions on Thursday shortly after the starters for the 2021 NBA All-Star teams were announced. The Hall of Fame forward was not pleased with the Western Conference's starting backcourt of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
If the Chuckster had his way, he would have Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers as starters come March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. In the latest episode of NBA on TNT, Barkley made a strong case for Mitchell, who is having a phenomenal season for the league-leading Jazz.
“If you have the best record in basketball, that says a lot. They have these stupid arguments about who gets MVP every year. The MVP never went to the best player. It always went to the best player on the best team.
“Donovan Mitchell should be rewarded in my opinion. No disrespect to anybody but this kid has been the best player on the best team in the NBA. It's unfortunate that he's not starting.”
Here's Charles Barkley's full quote.
As absurd as Charles Barkley's opinions sound most of the time, he did make a compelling case for The Spida. Then again, the All-Star voting process is still practically a popularity contest, even if the media is now involved along with fan votes.
Mitchell and the Jazz might be tearing up the NBA right now but no doubt fans prefer seeing Curry return to his MVP form after an injury-riddled season last year. The same goes for Doncic, who is an international star with a huge following.
Damian Lillard, on the other hand, was close to being named a starter but lost the tiebreaker to the Slovenian sensation. Stats-wise, Doncic does have a slight edge on overall numbers over Lillard, but the Blazers have had more success than the Mavs this season so far.
But it's not like Mitchell and Lillard will be snubbed out of the spectacle entirely. They are most likely to be shoo-ins as reserves.