Barkley: Warriors have 'zero chance' of winning title without Durant

Kevin Durant is scheduled to be re-evaluated in four weeks' time after suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain and tibial bone bruise. That doesn't mean he'll be able to return to action then, however, so his status for the playoffs is still up in the air.

Should the four-time scoring champion not be available for the Golden State Warriors, "Inside the NBA" analyst Charles Barkley has little faith in the team's postseason potential, let alone a return to The Finals for a third year in a row.

"Without Kevin Durant, they got zero chance of winning the championship," Barkley said during Thursday's telecast. "Actually, with the additions the Cavaliers have made, they probably aren't the leaders in the clubhouse. But without Kevin Durant, they got no chance of winning the championship. Zero.

"If they don't have Kevin Durant, I don't even think they get out of the West. That's just my personal opinion. I don't think they can beat the Cavaliers in a seven-game series. But, without Kevin Durant, they don't even get out of the Western Conference."

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Sir Charles went on to criticize the assertion that Golden State will be fine with the team's three stars from last year's 73-win campaign - Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green - still around, adding that Harrison Barnes (now with Dallas Mavericks) and Andrew Bogut (now with Cleveland Cavaliers) were a part of that core.