The Phoenix Suns appeared to have righted the ship after an embarrassing playoff exit last season. They entered their Tuesday night clash against the Washington Wizards with a solid 19-12 record, remaining as one of the best teams in the Western Conference. However, Deandre Ayton and Monty Williams, after a shaky offseason in their relationship, had a heated argument on the bench, being a reason for much concern. And Charles Barkley let them hear it.

Speaking on Inside the NBA, Chuck held nothing back in his critique of the Suns, even saying that “they're not even close to being a championship contender anymore.”

“Something's going on with my team (the Suns). I watch this team play quite a bit. There's something going on in the locker room and I don't know if they can fix it,” Barkley said. “For me, I can tell, 'cause I've been in the NBA for 40 years. You can tell when something's not working. They're gonna have to figure it out.”

“Right now, it's not working. They're going to win a lot of games cause they got talent, but they're not even close to being a championship contender anymore.”

That may be an overreaction from Charles Barkley. The Suns still have the third-best point differential per 100 possessions in the NBA, at 5.1, and they still possess the services of Devin Booker, a bonafide MVP candidate, and Chris Paul, a clutch floor general that could take over the game at any time.

Moreover, Monty Williams and Deandre Ayton had already cleared the air. Williams told reporters that his frustrations weren't directed towards the Suns big man, while Ayton said that “it's really all love” between him and his coach.

Still, Barkley may be a comedy king, but it's hard to doubt his feel for the game. Maybe he's privy to more information behind the scenes that fueled his strong concerns. Nevertheless, Barkley is right that the Suns have to figure out how to get over the hump so they could avenge their loss during the 2021 NBA Finals.