Coming into the playoffs, many people had the Los Angeles Lakers going all the way to the NBA Finals. Despite finishing as a seventh-seed, fans felt like this team would have a great chance to fight off the adversity, if fully healthy. Through the first three games of their series against Phoenix, they seemed to be in control although that all changed last night when Anthony Davis went down with an injury in Game 4. Now, the series is tied and AD is day-to-day, which means there is uncertainty surrounding the Lakers lineup.
Last night, Charles Barkley commented on the Lakers' situation, claiming that they are officially done. Barkley isn't so sure they can beat Phoenix now, and even if they do make the second round, Barkley believes the Lakers are in too much disarray to make a real run.
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Per Barkley:
"AD’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, they’re 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.”
Barkley has been proven wrong in the past, although with Davis' issues in mind, it's hard to argue with what the TNT analyst is saying here.
[Via]