Charles Barkley isn’t scared of saying whatever he thinks, the man will let any team or player have it if he feels like it makes sense. Barkley’s call it like you see it attitude has always endeared him to NBA fans in a media role, even if it might earn him some scorn from stars of the current era. And one of the franchises on the receiving end of a few tongue lashings from Barkley since the start of this season has been the Los Angeles Lakers.
To be fair, the Lakers have not helped themselves; the organization has just been through a shambolic season after their aging roster failed to gel. The Lakers have several things to take care of this offseason as they aim to get back to contention, but one is out of the way, with Darvin Ham being acquired in the role of Head Coach as the replacement for the outgoing Frank Vogel.
And while many are excited to see what a fresh voice like Ham might be able to bring to the Lakers, Barkley’s not so convinced, laying his points about why he thinks it won’t work out well on the ‘Dan Patrick Show’.
(starts at 5:16 minutes):
“Well, I’m glad Darvin got an opportunity ’cause he’s paid his dues,” Barkley said. “He’s a nice guy. We’ll have to see what kind of coach he is. But listen, if one of your coaches is close to the same age as your players, your team not gonna be any good, anyway. The Lakers, they got a serious dilemma on their hands.”
“Their best player’s gonna be 40. Anthony Davis has never been healthy. Obviously, Russ (Russell Westbrook) is gonna be there one more year, so what’s really bad about the situation — next year is gonna be the same as this year. And then LeBron [James] just gonna be a year older, and then they’ll have Russ off the books.”
While a lack of experience might be a concern for a new head coach, Ham has already been a huge part of the coaching staff of the Milwaukee Bucks, who helped the team win the title last season. Barkley’s points remain valid but as Ime Udoka has shown this season, a fresh voice can go a long way in helping to revitalize a team and help them take the next step.
