The Golden State Warriors started their season on Tuesday night, and it didn’t go as planned.
Following a close 108-104 defeat to the Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley wanted to share his opinion of the team.
“The Warriors are the fourth-best team in California, in my opinion,” Barkley said on TNT via ClutchPoints.
He went on: “Old people don’t better, they just get older. I just don’t like their team going forward. They’ve had a great run, great organization. But the Lakers, Sacramento, and the Clippers are all better than the Warriors.”
"The Warriors are the 4th best team in California in my opinion. Old people don't better, they just get older. I just don't like their team going forward… The Lakers, Kings and the Clippers are all better than the Warriors."
– Charles Barkley 👀pic.twitter.com/9FOU0PUhSQ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 24, 2023
Barkley isn’t alone in his concerns about the aging core of the Warriors.
Stephen Curry is 35 years old, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are 33, and the newly recruited Chris Paul is 38.
With age comes more injuries, less speed, and a whole list of problems.
Even though he’s getting older, Curry still looked quite good on Tuesday with his 27 points.
However, his three-point shooting left a lot to be desired, as he only went 4-of-14 for 28.6% from downtown.
Thompson was also rusty from beyond the three-point line, shooting 3-of-11 and scoring 15 points.
As for Paul, he was a bit of a mixed bag.
He produced 14 points and 9 assists for his team.
But his tempo is much slower than what is usual for the Warriors, and it definitely changed the game for them.
It is clear that Golden State is still adjusting to Paul in rotation, and it might take a bit of time before they are very comfortable.
A close loss to the Phoenix Suns at the start of the season isn’t a cause for concern for many fans.
But if the season continues like this, more and more people may grow concerned about the team’s age, just like Barkley is.
NEXT: Chris Paul Gets Honest On Facing Devin Booker, Suns For The First Time Since Trade
