I would not doubt he would dominate but I don't think he would have been drafted as high and a Larry Brown type could have undermined his confidence We saw Barkley play but remember. . he was like 300+ when he was drafted maybe 350+ . . The ROUND MOUND OF REBOUND alot of folx would have shied away from him because of 'work ethic' concerns and other BS his game would probably have to change some too u know u great when they make rules to STOP you [Barkley] and not HELP you . . [that other guy] Rocket River
Great video. The staredown with Patrick was classic. Patrick finally looks away and laughs. Barkley was so "in your face". He would be great on this team now with the toughness factor. You know a player is a great player when you hate him when he is not on your team and you love him when he is on your team. Dude took on Shaq and threw him down. Nobody else in the NBA then or now has/had the kahonas to try that one. I miss his game.
But consider he is a better passer, better off the dribble and has more range than Duncan, who still does OK. He had a guards handle so he could wreak havoc on the inside without needing an entry, thus there really wasn't a way to take the ball out of his hands. Remember Barkley was the Seattle zone killer when Hakeem (whose game was more like Duncan's) had trouble with it. This off course was when zones were still illegal but some played them anyway, Seattle being the prototype. Except for Jordan, Barkley one might argue was the toughest player to control from the defensive end from 1990-today. Defensively he doesn't stack up with the other great PFs of this era (unless you include Webber and Amare)--such as, Duncan, Malone, Garnett, Kemp (for a brief stint)--offensively though I think he was the most impossible to play of all of the PFs. Reggietodd, throw in a smilie or something next time so we know you are kidding, there are lurkers who will say things like that and mean it.
Popovic agrees with you, he once told Duncan that Charles would be the hardest player for him to cover.
I dont think he's 6'8" but in the video he hugs mobley(who is 6'4") and he looks at least 2 inches taller.
I have to agree with River here. Today's NBA draft, much live the NFL draft, has become all about numbers. Nobody wants a wide receiver under 6' anymore. Nobody wants a PF under 6' 7" anymore. It seems like the intangibles are being disregarded in favor of sheer physical stats, which never tell the full story. Good players ride the bench every day. Example: how long was it before Mario Elie was given his chance to shine? Charles would not have been drafted as high and probably wouldn't have been given MUCH opportunity to shine, but he was so gifted, he would have eventually dominated anyway.
I agree, Barkley would have dropped in the draft but once drafted he would have absolutely destroyed the majority of the PFs in the league today and went toe-to-toe or possibly out-played the elite PFs in the league right now. Remember, in his prime Barkley was going in the post and holding his own with the Ewings and Robinson and Hakeem's of the world.
Barkley would have destroyed Amare and battled Duncan to a standstill. Not taking anything away from Amare, but he's not even close to Barkley's level. Not yet anyway. Barkley wasn't just a big and talented player, but he was a smart player. He would have overpowered Amare, outskilled Amare, ran the floor with Amare and outsmarted Amare and had him in foul trouble by the end of the 1st quarter. Barkley could also put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket, which is what would have killed guys like Duncan and Amare. Barkley also had a killer instinct like few players. If Amare would have tried to show Barkley up by doing pushups on the floor it would have gotten ugly in a hurry!
Barkley would do to Amare, what he did against Shawn Kemp in game 7 of the 1993 Conference Finals. He'd go ahead and score 40 plus and grab 20 plus rebounds. Barkley would be the 1st pick in the draft if it were held today. You've got to remember that he was the 4th pick in the 1984 draft that was very heralded at that time and in hindsight, was one of the greatest drafts in the history of sports. Barkley would have fell short with the measurables, but his athleticism would have been off the charts. Combine that with his production against the today's college competition, he would have been a legend after he left his junior year. We are talking 25 plus points, 15 plus rebounds, 2 plus block shots in the college game today. He would have been a number one pick in this year's draft, especially considering there are no Michael Jordan's or Hakeem Olajuwon's in the draft. You also got to remember Allen Iverson was picked number 1 in the 1996 draft and he measures a shade under 6 feet. Elton Brand and Kenyon Martin were both 6'8" and were both selected number one in the 1999 and 2000 drafts. I think they would have overlooked Barkley's 6'4" 1/2 because of his amazing athleticism and domination of the college game.
Can't let a post about my main man go by with putting in a comment! Agree 100% with all those that have been giving him props for his athleticism (never thought I would use the word athelticism when describing the Chuckwagon), smarts, skills and abilities. He was described (either by himself or someone else) as a power forward/center, with the skills of a guard trapped in a small forwards body. That description of so appropriate. He could dribble and drive past you if you guarded him close, had decent (not great) range on his jumpshot or could just outmuscle you and back you down in the post. He was so strong, yet so quick and for a guy that was 6"4/6"6 had a crazy juimp on him. I remember reading he would strengthen his legs jumping over fences and once dunked so hard moved a 1000 pound (I think it was a 1000pound) basketball support 6 feet. He obviously didn't have the fire and will to win all the time, but piss him off and he would go off for 40 points and 20 rebounds in the blink of an eye. Put someone like Jordans fire and competitiveness in Chucks body and skills, and Barkley would be the one with multiple rings. But he didn't have that fire burn consistently and that was his biggest downfall. He was also a little immature when he first came into the league and that also didn't help. His attitude was his biggest downfall, but his physical skills went a long way in making up for that. Charles Barkley - greatest player never to win a championship (yes better than Malone, Miller, Ewing and all the others not win a ring)
What an ignorant post. Watch the sportscentury on him. He went up regularly against great PFs and destroyed them.
Take the absolute PRIME years (2-4 yrs) during the careers of every great power forward in NBA history, and Barkley's were the best. This is a 6'5 guy that shot 68% from the field for an entire season. And the comparisons with Amare are laughable. He isn't even half the player Charles was in that 3rd year with Philadelphia. Charles could back you down, face you up, pass, control a game on the boards, all in addition to Amare's dunks. He used to eat Karl Malone for lunch until those latter years when Malone seemed to improve and Charles' weight and laziness got the best of him. He would be just as great in today's game. Garnett would give him some trouble as he once said that Kevin Garnett and Kevin McHale were the two best defenders he ever faced, and I'm guessing this was back when KG was only like 20. He said shooting over Garnett was like trying to shoot over a guy holding two broomsticks. I'm guessing he would eat Duncan alive considering what Amare did to him.
oh man, what sportscenter has done for amare stoudamire... barkley would eat him alive. if he were drafted right now he might not be a top 10 pick but he'd unquestionably turn into the greatest player of his class anyways. it wouldn't even be close. imo, in this watered down league, a younger barkley would easily better his numbers. he was a force among men back then, who knows what he'd do to these boys playing now. also the not that gifted athletically line is hilarious. barkley might be the most freakishly athletic player in history. he was as big and strong as any pf but he was quicker and could jump higher than any of them too. it'll always boggle my mind how he carried that weight around so effortlessly.
Exactly. I remember looking at one highlight where Barkley blocked a Patrick Ewing jam. Still one of the craziest things I have ever seen. A 6-5 PF blocking a 7-1 center's dunk straight-up.
