Barkley had some strong words for Golden State.
TNT commentator Charles Barkley had some strong words for the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
With four championships in eight years, Golden State has been the best NBA team since the mid-2010s. They’ve built a dynasty around Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and 텍사스홀덤 Klay Thompson.
After a second-round exit last season, they signaled their intent to return to the top by acquiring Chris Paul in the summer transfer window. But so far this season, they haven’t come close to winning a championship. With a 16-18 record, they sit in 11th place in the Western Conference.
Despite its veteran roster, Golden State has an older roster than most teams. Paul, who was born in 1985, Curry, who was born in 1988, and Thompson-Green, who was born in 1990, are at an age where it wouldn’t be surprising if they were knocked out of their prime, which is why there’s a lot of concern about aging in Golden State’s struggles this season.
Barkley also pointed this out. Barkley has been outspoken in his criticism of Golden State in the past, stating that “jump-shooting teams don’t win championships.”
“Like I said,” Barkley said, “Golden State is a mess. Everybody said I was crazy. They swept Sacramento in the first round last year with Steph Curry on a crazy run, but Curry is going to start to decline soon. They have an old roster and everyone is declining. Golden State is an older team and they’re done. They’re not a contender,” he said.
“Old players just get older, they don’t improve. Sports is a young man’s game and as much as I love Klay Thompson, he’s past his prime. Same with Draymond Green. Steph Curry used to be able to mask it, but he can’t anymore, because he’s starting to break down,” he said strongly.
Curry is still one of the league’s best guards in his mid-30s, averaging 27.7 points per game, but he’s had a shaky December. His backcourt partner, Thompson, is coming off the worst season of his career. Even the Splash Brothers can’t completely defy the passage of time.
However, Golden State has a history of hitting rock bottom and coming back to reclaim their crown, so there’s no reason to believe they’ll fall apart. There’s still more than half of the season left, and there’s plenty of room for a rebound if they utilize their experience.
After a dismal season, can Golden State turn things around? After a deceptive upset loss to Denver on Friday, the Warriors will try to get back on track with a back-to-back against Detroit on Saturday.
