Hall of Fame player and current TNT broadcaster Charles Barkley is excited about the Western Conference battles in the upcoming 2019-20 NBA season.

The NBA's 2019-20 season schedule was released on Monday afternoon, with a flurry of key matchups marked on the calendar. A wide range of said games are in the Western Conference, which will surely set the stage for multiple juggernaut franchises duking it out over the course of seven months of the regular season.

Barkley doubled down on the intense schedule and told Jared Greenberg on NBA TV that “the West is going to be crazy.”

Charles Barkley specifically cited Western Conference teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Rockets as the top teams to watch, adding that the Utah Jazz are “most improved team.”

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The Clippers and Lakers face off on October 22nd on the NBA's tip-off night. These two teams will match up four times over the season, being in the Pacific Division, but every tilt ought to be interesting with the additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for the Clips and Anthony Davis on the Lakers.

The Rockets, meanwhile, acquired former MVP Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder over the summer in exchange for Chris Paul. Westbrook and James Harden previously played together in OKC before the team traded The Beard in 2012.