While the majority of the talent in the NBA lies within the Western Conference, there is no denying how entertaining the Eastern Conference can be. Last year, there was a battle between four teams, including the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Philadelphia 76ers. With Kawhi Leonard off of the Raptors, the conference is more wide open than ever before. Fans are already giving their predictions on who will win the conference next season, with the usual suspects hovering at the top.
During a recent appearance on NBA TV's schedule release show, NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley spoke about the battle in the East this year and divulged who he thinks will come away victorious.
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"I'm going out on a limb right now, I'm riding and dying with the Philadelphia 76ers," Barkley said via Yahoo! Sports. I know it's going to be a great battle between them and the Milwaukee Bucks all year. But I love Philadelphia. I love Al Horford, Josh Richardson. Milwaukee losing [Malcolm] Brogdon, I think that's a big deal. But I think it's a two-team race in the Eastern Conference between the 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks. I can't wait until they play each other head to head."
Barkley went on to guarantee a 76ers Eastern Conference victory which would certainly be an interesting sight to behold. The 76ers have been a team on the rise since becoming a laughing stock during the early stages of the decade. With their newfound success, it's clear that "The Process" has been a success so far.
