Charles Barkley took a shot at the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office once again. This time, it was for putting what he felt was a below-par and “embarrassing” roster around LeBron James.
The former player-turned-analyst had earlier slammed the Lakers’ management of Russell Westbrook by saying the think-tank was responsible for “taking the joy out of life and basketball.”
This time around, it had to do with the roster construction that he thought was of little or no support to James, whose consistency picked up right where it left off from last season. He even ridiculed them for adding “old geezers” around him the last season. Per a tweet that shows his rant, here’s what Barkley said:
Charles Barkley on the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers:
Lakers offseason additions include: Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, Thomas Bryant, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Dennis Schroder, Scotty Pippen Jr., Max Christie, Cole Swider, Matt Ryan
Agree or disagree with Chuck? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/ExmSAnuJfj
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) October 21, 2022
“Last year and this year, what they’re putting around LeBron is an embarrassment. Last year, they put them [old] geezers around him. Somebody is not doing their job in Los Angeles. Period.”
The Lakers’ roster was an upgrade compared to last season as they added the likes of Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, Thomas Bryant, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Dennis Schroder, Scotty Pippen Jr., Max Christie, Cole Swider, Matt Ryan. Last year, they had Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, and Carmelo Anthony, who were some of the older players in the league.
LeBron James’ Thoughts On The 2022-23 Squad: ‘The Roster Isn’t Constructed For Great Shooting.”
One of the major weaknesses that was exposed in the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors, and the Clippers in their second game was their lack of shooting.
While some players fared relatively well in the latest outing, there was no denying that the side could benefit from a couple of sharpshooters around him to bolster the offense.
Speaking to the media after the loss to Golden State, James shared his two cents:
“I think we’re getting great looks. But it could also be teams giving us great looks,” he said after the loss. “Being completely honest, we’re not a team that’s constructed of great shooting. That’s just the truth of the matter. It’s not like we’re sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team.”
The front office has reportedly paused any trade talks at the time of writing, even as the Myles Turner and Buddy Hield trade continues to do the rounds. Barkley may have hit the nail on the head if the Lakers’ shooting will cost them a few more games over the course of what already looks like a challenging season.
