The Los Angeles Lakers dropped Game 4 on Sunday afternoon to the Phoenix Suns as they prepare for a pivotal Game 5 with the series tied at two. The story of the day though was Anthony Davis leaving early with a groin strain, which currently has him listed as day-to-day.
We all know that TNT analyst Charles Barkley has some wild takes. Well, his latest one is pretty controversial. He believes the Lakers have no chance at winning another title, even if AD returns in this series and they beat the Suns, via USA Today:
Article Continues BelowAD’s been out for a long time, now you’re trying to play hard basketball. He had a couple good games, but he ain’t had no time to get his rhythm and his conditioning together. Same thing with LeBron. I don’t think LeBron, at his age, can single-handedly whip the Phoenix Suns.
If Anthony Davis does not play again, the Lakers are gonna lose to the Phoenix Suns – but, even if they beat the Suns, they got zero chance of winning the championship. These guys are not in good enough shape. They missed too much of the regular season. And like I say, you don’t just pick up a basketball in the middle of the [playoffs] and beat the good teams.”
So, how many Lakers fans out there are currently fuming? I bet a lot. Barkley has a point in the sense that both LeBron and AD did miss a lot of time this season. It's no secret that James needs Davis alongside him in order to win another NBA championship but with the two of them at the helm and Dennis Schroder also playing at a high level, they're still a scary team.
Davis however, must come back for this Suns series. Without him, Phoenix could very well beat the Lakers, especially if Chris Paul plays as he did in Game 4.
While LA won't care less about Charles Barkley's opinion, there is certainly still a sense of concern with their star big man currently on the shelf. As for a title, it will not be an easy road anyway, especially with the star-studded Nets in the East banking on a title.