Charles Barkley: Minnesota is going to sweep the Nuggets / News - Basketnews.com

Barkley says the Nuggets don't have an advantage anywhere, and Jokic is going to struggle even more when Rudy Gobert returns. The Hall of Famer believes the Timberwolves will sweep Denver.

Credit: REUTERS/Marvin Gentry Credit REUTERS/Marvin Gentry

The Minnesota Timberwolves took a commanding 2-0 lead in the series against the reigning NBA champions, Denver Nuggets. Charles Barkley is sure the Timberwolves are going to win the next two games in Minnesota and sweep Denver.

Player of the Game EFF 32 Karl-Anthony Towns Points 27 Accuracy 10-15 Rebounds 12 Assists 1

"This series is a wrap. Minnesota is better than the Nuggets. No disrespect. They don't have an advantage. The MVP is getting outplayed. They don't have an advantage anywhere. Jamal Murray, I think, is still hurt a little bit. But other than that, they don't have an advantage anywhere. This series is a wrap," Barkley said in the Inside the NBA on TNT show.

The Hall of Famer admitted not having believed in the Timberwolves before the season but having changed his mind since.

"The Minnesota Timberwolves... I said before the season - I don't believe in them. They have changed my mind 100%. They are going to win this series. I don't know who they're going to play in the other series, could be very entertaining. But man, they are for real," Barkley said.

Minnesota's Anthony Edwards is averaging a whopping 35 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in this series. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic, who is widely believed to become this season's NBA Most Valuable Player, is struggling.

Even though the Serbian center is averaging 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game, Jokic is shooting the ball on an inefficient 42.1% field goal percentage and making only 20% of his three-pointers.

"They have that guy. If you have that guy, and that bulldog might as well be a damn wolf because he ain't messing around," Barkley said about Edwards. "He's like, 'Boys, come on and follow me.' And the other guys are following him. When you have a guy like that, and you have some other good players, because no team is going to be good unless you have a guy."

Charles Barkley

"Jokic is a guy, but not in this series. Think about this - he couldn't even dominate one of them. The other one at home, congratulations for having a baby. He couldn't even dominate when the other one wasn't there," Barkley said about Game 2, which Rudy Gobert missed due to childbirth in his family. "You know how rough it's going to be going to Minnesota against them two guys? You saw what happened in Game 1. He didn't play tonight well. 'Joker can dominate tonight because Rudy is not here.' You never thought that Denver was going to win that game tonight."

Barkley is certain - the series is not coming back to Denver.

"The Minnesota Timberwolves are for real. They're going to sweep the Denver Nuggets. Period," he concluded.

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