Finals will entertain even without Sir Charles

Some of the nation believes the best thing about the NBA is Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, who have taken studio analyst jobs on TNT and turned them into a jet plane of entertainment.

Shaquille O’Neal isn’t bad, but the three basketball- teers of insight and opinion simply don’t need him, and they prove it night after night during the NBA season.

Now comes the much expected best- of- seven championship series, and those guys won’t even be around because the games are on ABC.

This is the NBA Finals everyone has expected since Kevin Durant took his game to Oakland and made a great Golden State team even greater.

But the Warriors are not the best team money could buy.

Durant’s decision to leave Oklahoma City had little to do with money as the Thunder were more than willing to pay him the same $ 26 million the Warriors offered.

Durant simply said he wanted to play with a team that had a chance to win a championship. He obviously didn’t feel he could do that with Russell Westbrook, a wildly talented guy who seems to believe there isn’t a shot he can’t make almost every possession.

Durant slid into the Warriors’ offense, which is centered around three- point sharpshooter Stephen Curry, seamlessly.

They finished the regular season 67- 15 and haven’t been challenged in the playoffs.

Cleveland features the greatest active player in the NBA in LeBron James, who makes the princely sum of just more than $ 30 million a year. Of course, it seems he has extra responsibilities at times, such as being the head coach, general manager and face of the NBA.

The Cavs are supposedly the best team money can buy.

The annual payroll that includes 11 first- round NBA picks — including two No. 1 picks — is just north of $ 128 million.

The Warriors spent a little more than $ 107 million for a roster that has nine first- round picks. Durant, the second player taken in the 2007 draft, is the highest drafted player on a roster that includes two guys who were not drafted.

If you need a sentimental reason to pick a favorite, it could be the Warriors because their roster includes the only player from the SEC, Damian Jones out of Vanderbilt.

Andre Iguodala of the Warriors almost played for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. But when Nolan Richardson was fired, he switched to Arizona.

Oakland is mostly famous for being the city NFL teams leave.

Cleveland is known for a hospital, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the first and third NBA homes of James, who once jumped ship to win two titles in Miami.

If you look at the entire 15man roster, the Cavaliers have 128 years of experience and only three players who were drafted originally by Cleveland.

Golden State has 101 years of experience and five players who were drafted by the Warriors, plus the two undrafted players.

If you are starting to get the sense that yours truly is leaning toward Golden State, then you have good senses.

Maybe Curry isn’t the lovable mad bomber he once seemed to be and Durant left more broken hearts in Oklahoma than Garth Brooks, but only one player has ever self- nicknamed himself King James. Seems that name was taken by the guy whose name was used in most published versions of the Bible.

There is no doubting James’ talent and that he is a family man without a trace of trouble in his background, so there’s no real reason to pull against him.

Charles, Kenny and Ernie, plus Shaq, will be missed, but this championship series should be a great one.