Charles Barkley offered a brutal verdict of the Golden State Warriors as their season came to an end on Wednesday night.
The Warriors were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs after a 121-110 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals.
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Golden State lost star Stephen Curry, the most unique player in basketball history, to a hamstring injury in the first game of the series, and never managed to recover.
After a shock Game 1 win in Minnesota, they lost four consecutive games, and it’s the Timberwolves instead who advance to the Western finals for a second successive season.
Following Wednesday’s game, Barkley discussed the Warriors’ outlook as they enter a crucial offseason that will once again focus on building a championship roster.
But questions remain around their veteran trio of Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
“They’ve got three old guys making a lot of money, so you’re pretty much stuck with them for the next two years,” the 11-time All-Star began, speaking on Inside the NBA.
“You can’t go to war with three old guys against the West.”
Barkley also questioned the role that Jonathan Kuminga can play for the Warriors moving forward.
The 22-year-old caught the eye during Golden State’s losing stretch, scoring 18 points in Game 2, 30 in Game 3, 23 in Game 4, and 26 in Game 5.
Barkley explained: “The Kuminga thing, we’re in the back, and we’re like damn. He either plays or he doesn’t play.
“But now you gotta make a decision on whether you’re going to pay him or not… they didn’t extend him.
“He’s the only one on that bench that is explosive. He was the only guy out there that you say, ‘He can play with these Timberwolves’.
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“They know him better than we do. They didn’t extend him when all the other rookies got extended. So it tells me they don’t believe in him.”
Thanks to a strong finish in the playoffs, Kuminga’s future with the Warriors will be much discussed.
Golden State’s star trio is aging, as Barkley points out, and it is clear that they need some help around them to be a legitimate contender.
But given Kuminga is a restricted free agent, and the fact he was benched early in the playoffs, he could be on his way out.
If that does happen, the Warriors will need to add more young players around their core if they want to compete in the stacked Western Conference next season.
Even legend Curry is aware things could be drawing to an end, and he was spotted earlier this season suggesting this could be their ‘last ride’.
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While the Warriors will be hurting after their semifinal elimination, and know questions will need to be answered over the summer, coach Steve Kerr came out to defend his guys post-game.
He noted that Butler’s arrival in February ‘changed their season’ –despite the fact ‘Playoff Jimmy’ struggled to live up to his reputation.
“I love our guys, this was a hell of a run for us considering where we were at the trade deadline,” Kerr said.
“Jimmy changed our season, flipped everything for us, gave us a chance. We became one of the best teams in the league.
“Obviously, you get to the final eight in the NBA, you’re one of the best teams. We had a shot, but things didn’t go our way.”
Minnesota, meanwhile, were inspired by Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle against the Warriors in Game 5.
Randle scored 29 points on 13-for-18 shooting, while Edwards added 22 points and 12 assists for the sixth-seeded Wolves, as the duo put a seal on another dominant series in these playoffs.
The latter continues to show out, despite once being doubted by Kerr over his work ethic.
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Minnesota will face the winner of Denver-Oklahoma City next.
