Charles Barkley did not hold back when analyzing the Lakers’ first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
During a postgame segment on Inside The NBA, the Hall of Famer bluntly criticized Los Angeles for its defensive shortcomings, specifically pointing to LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
“They can’t guard anybody,” Barkley said. “You going to have to have Wilt, Kareem and Bill Russell back there blocking shots if they going to keep anybody in front of them.”
The Lakers were eliminated in five games after a 103-96 Game 5 loss at home, where Minnesota outmuscled them with 54 rebounds and 18 offensive boards.
Rudy Gobert powered the Timberwolves with 27 points and 24 rebounds, taking full advantage of the Lakers’ small-ball lineup that lacked a true rim protector.
Julius Randle added 23 points and Anthony Edwards finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds despite going 0-for-11 from beyond the arc.
Barkley took aim at Doncic’s conditioning as well, questioning the All-Star guard’s long-term value without improvement on the defensive end.
“Luka got to get in better shape too,” Barkley said. “At some point as a player you can’t have people saying that about you.”
“You’re an elite player and you getting ready to get $300–400 million,” he added. “You can’t say you got to get in shape to earn that money. You can’t get on TV every day – and we all do it – he can’t guard anybody.”
Doncic, who arrived in Los Angeles via a blockbuster midseason trade with Dallas, had 28 points and nine assists in Game 5 but committed five fouls and struggled defensively.
The Timberwolves, despite shooting 7-for-47 from three-point range, closed the series by holding Los Angeles to 16 points in the fourth quarter.
“They got to get some more athletic ability,” Barkley emphasized. “LeBron don’t play defense anymore. Luka can’t guard a chair.”
Barkley also addressed criticism of Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, who traded Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.
“I thought a lot of the criticism for Nico was a little unfair,” Barkley said. “That team was mediocre until Nico went out and got PJ [Washington], [Daniel] Gafford and [Dereck] Lively and that took them to the next level.”
He credited Harrison for pushing Dallas to the Finals last year and said the team’s rise only happened after acquiring size and physicality in the paint.
“But at some point you just can’t go out and get big guys,” Barkley added. “He got to learn to play defense and get in shape.”
The Lakers, who entered the postseason as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, have now failed to get past the first round in four of the last five seasons.
LeBron James scored 22 points in what could be his final game with Los Angeles, as speculation grows about his future and the team’s direction after another early playoff exit.
