The Phoenix Suns began Thursday in the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference, producing only a 19-18 record in the first 37 games of the season. Given the team’s lofty expectations and aspirations, that start would qualify as unsatisfying for the Suns, even amid injury concerns that have limited Bradley Beal to only 13 games and kept Kevin Durant and Devin Booker off the floor for 16 combined contests.
However, TNT’s Charles Barkley took his criticism to a different place during Inside the NBA on Thursday, flatly expressing his view that the Suns are “in trouble” at this juncture.
"My Suns are in trouble. They have no leadership. They have no toughness." – Charles Barkley 🏀🌞🔥 pic.twitter.com/BKDDgM2j8j
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 12, 2024
“My Suns are in trouble,” Barkley said. “They have no leadership, they have no toughness. And the guards, Beal and Booker do not fit together. They don’t have a point guard. But they got no leadership, and they got no toughness.”
Barkley, of course, played for the Suns and has a long-standing attachment to the organization as a result. It would be fair to note that his thoughts about the backcourt fit and lack of a true point guard are not exactly outlandish, and many have expressed skepticism about the team’s roster construction. Still, the comments that were more eyebrow-raising stemmed from references to leadership and toughness.
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to measure these qualities from the outside, and this sounds a bit like Barkley being Barkley. The comments did come just before the Suns played on TNT’s airwaves against the Lakers on Thursday, but if Phoenix continues to hover around the .500 mark with a massive luxury tax bill and a roster that was built to win in the present, the murmurs will only grow from Barkley and others.
