The Los Angeles Lakers are under the microscope again, but Charles Barkley has officially seen enough. The Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst didn't hold back during a recent broadcast, launching a scathing critique of the LakeShow that has social media buzzing.

Barkley’s main gripe? He’s exhausted by the “contender” label constantly slapped on a team that, in his eyes, just isn't very good. “I get sick of people talking about they’re contenders,” Barkley said. “The Lakers are not a good team. They're not athletic, they're not good defensively. I guess we’re contractually obligated to talk about them every day.”

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The “Chuckster” even turned his attention to superstar Luka Doncic. While the media’s honeymoon phase with the Slovenian guard seems to be cooling, Barkley took it a step further, joking that the Lakers are essentially “tanking” right now. He even went as far as to suggest that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver should step in with a fine because of their recent slide.

The numbers aren't exactly silencing the critics. Following a narrow 113-110 loss to a Phoenix Suns team playing without Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, the Lakers have now dropped three straight games. Despite the team's struggles, Luka Doncic did his best to carry the load against Phoenix, putting up a massive stat line of 41 points on 12-of-21 shooting, along with eight rebounds and eight assists.

Currently sitting at 34-24 and holding the 6th seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers find themselves closer to the Play-In tournament than the top spot. With 24 games left, the pressure is mounting. If the Lakers want to prove Barkley wrong and stop the “tanking” narrative, they'll need to find some defensive identity, and fast.