Charles Barkley: 'D'Angelo Russell Is The Best Player In The Draft'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- There's only one guy who would start a live radio interview with, "Wassup bro. Why you got me up early in the morning talkin' to your ass on the radio?"
And that's Charles Barkley, who joined Howard Eskin on Tuesday's 94WIP Morning Show to discuss various topics from the Sixers to Deflategate.
"I didn't agree with the Michael Carter-Williams trade, but I like what the Sixers are doing," Barkley said. "If the big kid can play---well let me re-phrase it. If both big kids [Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid] can play. I love the kid coming of Ohio State [D'Angelo Russell]. I think he's the best player in the draft. I like the team going forward, to be honest with you. At some point you just got to just quit getting draft picks and get good players.
Listen: Charles Barkley on the 94WIP Morning Show
"But if the two big guys can play, I like D'Angelo Russell. I think, he 's probably in my opinion, he's the best player in the draft. Nobody wants to be patient anymore, but this is a big draft."
As for the number one sports story of the spring, Barkley said he's positive the Patriots manipulated the footballs.
"You know me and [Patriots] Coach [Bill] Belichick are good friends and me and [Patriots owner] Mr. [Robert] Kraft are good friends," Barkley said. "I think they did manipulate those balls to be honest with you and they just got caught. I'm trying to figure out what type of competitive advantage that is, is my question.
"Listen, they manipulated the balls. There's no doubt in my mind they manipulated the balls."
Was the four-game punishment to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady fair?
"I think, in my personal opinion, I think they probably got a deal worked where they gonna lower the suspension to two games and they're gonna go forward," Barkley said. "That's my personal opinion. I think they worked out a deal behind the scenes."