The Phoenix Suns were stunned by the Los Angeles Clippers in their latest outing, shocking fans and even players across the league. The Suns, despite having their ‘Big Three’ were held to just 10 points in the first quarter while the Clippers went on a run of their own. After the game, Suns legend Charles Barkley was asked to give his two cents on this Phoenix roster and the Round Mound of Rebound did not hold back.
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Charles Barkley was interviewed by 12News after the game and was asked if the Phoenix Suns could figure things out by the playoffs. Barkley got straight to the point, stating that most likely will not be happening.
“No, they’re not gonna figure it out. They don’t have any mental toughness, the leaders are not leading. So, you’re not gonna turn it on this late in the season. So, I’m not sure what you’re expecting but their mental toughness, they’re weak mentally and it’s not going to go good for them.”
The Phoenix Suns have underperformed throughout the year. At first, it was blamed on injuries to its star players and how they haven’t had time to practice together and play with one another on the court. But after a certain point, even after their stars came back, the Suns seemed to struggle throughout the season, especially in late fourth-quarter situations. And that is something Charles Barkley addressed as well.
He pinned the blame on the team’s leader for not leading the team on the floor. However, there was hope that Phoenix would be able to figure it out in the postseason. But after tonight’s performance, Barkley and most probably a lot of fans have lost that hope too. The Suns were held to just 4 points in the first quarter while the Clippers had 35. Phoenix did try to make a comeback and lost the game with a somewhat 92-105 respectable score but seeing the ‘Big Three’ struggle like that in the first quickly shattered Suns fans’ hopes for any success in the playoffs.
The disparity in shooting percentage was abysmal. The Clippers finished the game shooting 47.1% from the field as opposed to the Suns’ 33.7%, per Statmuse. The Clippers shot a whopping 46.2% from beyond the arc whereas the Suns were just 22.9% from three. The Clippers also had a huge advantage in rebounding, finishing the game with 63 total rebounds while the Suns only crashed the board 38 times.
So, Charles Barkley’s harsh words may not be too harsh, after all.
Charles Barkley believes in D-Book more than KD
Having played for the Phoenix Suns during his playing days, Charles Barkley has always rooted for the team. He was hyped to see the Suns form a ‘Big Three’ but that quickly turned into disappointment after seeing how they were performing. After seeing the Suns struggle till the All-Star break, Sir Charles decided to take a few shots at Kevin Durant and his leadership as per BasketballNetwork.
“No disrespect to Kevin. Kevin’s a follower. He’s not a leader. He’s proven that on all his stops. Booker’s a hell of a player. Also, I think he’s gonna have to take the initiative and take this Suns team to the next level.”
Barkley had earlier taken shots at Durant for being a bus rider rather than a bus driver, meaning he was not a leader. With his comments above, he eventually doubled down on his take and placed Devin Booker at the helm for leading the team.
However, after tonight, fans and players across the league will be re-evaluating their belief in this Suns squad and how they would fare against other teams in the playoffs.
