Charles Barkley compared the Knicks to Playboy Bunnies

One of the things I love most about Charles Barkley is his candor. You may not agree with his assessments but he always speaks from an informed POV. Which means that his latest statements are definitely going to catch the ire of New York Knicks fans. Chuck compares the team to a Playboy bunny and isn’t quite ready to say they’re ready to ascend the thrown.

“Everybody in New York thinks the Knicks are Playboy bunnies, and I have been telling them for years the Knicks are a rabbit,” Barkley said. “They’re closer to a Playboy bunny this year but for the last few years these guys are like, ‘We have a really good team!’ And I say, ‘You really think that?’ And I say, ‘No, they don’t.’ But this is the best team they’ve had in a while.”

Fair enough, they haven’t been great in past years but they’ve had some great pieces. This year they seem to have put those pieces in place and developed not only chemistry but a defensive game plan. Chuck however thinks that what we see right now might be fool’s gold.

“But when I look at their stats, they only outrebounded the teams they’ve played like twice,” Barkley said. “That concerns me. And I don’t know if they can keep shooting threes like that. That’s my only critique. It’s not a criticism, it’s a critique.”

Live by the three, die by the three. But defense wins championships and the Knicks under head coach Mike Woodson have absolutely picked up that aspect of their game.

LeBron James recently said Chuck needs to “shut up” when asked about comments he made about Dwyane Wade losing a step. I think LeBron over reacted with that response for a few reasons, 1. Chuck is paid to give his opinion. That’s his job and 2. DWade has. Coming off surgery and the way he plays his game, it’s to be expected. It’s not like he said he was ineffective or washed up. But regression is a natural part of a basketball journey.