Image Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

“He is a hell of a player” – Charles Barkley Rips Apart Warriors, Picks 3-Time All-Star as Difference Maker in Timberwolves-Warriors Playoff Series

Image Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves will lock horns in the highly-anticipated Western Conference semifinals. Both teams surprised the second-seeded and third-seeded teams in the playoffs and it will be only the second time when No. 6 and No. 7 will meet in the NBA playoffs. Ahead of the series opener on Tuesday, expert opinions are coming in big numbers.

the matchup is set. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/fvEOhENJ7k
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 5, 2025

NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley comes up with his honest opinion on All-Star battle between Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards. Barkley’s prediction for the Minnesota-Golden State series would not impress Curry fans. According to him, the Timberwolves are going to eliminate the Warriors in the conference semifinals.

Also Read: Stephen Curry’s Playoff Record- What is the Three-Point King’s Win-Loss Record in NBA Playoffs?

Charles Barkley is running with the Wolves and Anthony Edwards

Charles Barkley was talking on TNT’s show, “Inside the NBA” where the hosts were discussing the Warriors’ win in Game 7 which helped them to reach conference semifinals. The discussion moved to the Warriors’ next assignment against the Wolves. Barkley looked confident on picking Minnesota and his solely reason was Anthony Edwards.

Kenny & Shaq see Golden State as a matchup problem for Minnesota, while Chuck's running with the Wolves 👀 pic.twitter.com/XHOToH8a23
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 5, 2025

“I’m going to take Minnesota,” Barkley predicted. “I think Minnesota’s playing really, really well right now.

“[Edwards] is a hell of a player. His confidence is sky high.”

Anthony Edwards is producing an excellent season for the Timberwolves and he averaged 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.2 steals against the Lakers in first-round playoff series. The 23-year-old helped Minnesota to outclass the Lakers 4-1 to set a conference semifinal date with the Golden State Warriors.

Barkley feels it won’t be easy for the Warriors to counter the Timberwolves led by Anthony Edwards. He picks out Anthony Edwards as the difference-maker of the playoff series.

“I think the interesting matchup is how often they’re going to play small,” Barkley added. “Because if they put Rudy [Gobert] out there, [the Warriors are] going to attack him in the pick-and-roll. And that’s just going to open up spots everywhere.“

“If he’s going to try to stay in front of [Curry], which he can’t, he would have to double. Minnesota’s going to have to go small a lot if they’re going to beat [the Warriors].”

Also Read: “He plays dirty” – Serena Williams’ Former Coach Takes a Dig at 4-time NBA Champion for ‘Bitching and Playing Dirty’ in Warriors’ Win vs. Rockets

Meanwhile, his co-host, Shaquille O’Neal picked the Warriors over the Timberwolves. Both teams will go head to head on Tuesday in Minneapolis. The Warriors have a terrific record against the Wolves and they owned the regular-season series 3-1.

Image Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Barkley

NBA on TNT

Shaquille O’Neal

Gulshan Sharma

nba

soccer

wnba

A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.