Charles Barkley doesn't think the Warriors can be title contenders / News - Basketnews.com

The Golden State Warrior's aging core of main players has led Charles Barkley to the conclusion that the franchise won't be able to fight for another NBA championship this season.

Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports; Scott Halleran/Getty Images/AFP Credit Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports; Scott Halleran/Getty Images/AFP

On November 29, the Golden State Warriors were eliminated from the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament following a hard-fought contest against the Sacramento Kings.

Charles Barkley

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The result saw the Warriors slip to a losing record of 8-10 and TNT Sports analyst Charles Barkley voiced the opinion that the team doesn't stand much of a chance of winning the NBA championship, saying "they are not a contender".

Barkley said the result reaffirmed his belief that the Warriors are not the same team that won championships in the past.

"As I told you, this team is cooked. Y'all thought I was crazy," Barkley said. "They got away last year because Steph [Curry] went crazy in Game 7 [of the playoffs against Sacramento]. Steph, he’s gonna start slowing down soon. They’ve got an old team, everybody slows down," he stressed.

"He’s not gonna be able to continue to do that because those other guys aren’t the same, either. They’re older. This team is cooked. They’re not a contender," Bakley continued.

On January 4, at halftime of the Warriors' clash against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets which ended up in a dramatic 127-130 loss, Barkley reiterated his previous claim by questioning the team's aging core.

"One thing you know about old people, they just get older, they don’t get better," he said.

"Sports are a young people’s game. As much as I love Klay, he’s past his prime. Same thing with Dray. That’s why they’re gonna be streaky. And Steph usually could cover that up. But he can’t anymore because he’s starting to wear down,” added the retired legend.

Barkley's latest remarks come in sharp contrast to the TV analyst's observations in November 2022. Referring to the Warriors' plan to keep their veteran players and mix them with young talent in Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman, Chuck opined that the franchise could win 3 to 4 more championships in the future.

"But with [Jordan] Poole and [Moses] Moody, Kuminga and Wiseman ... if those four guys, those other two guys already did their thing -- Poole and Moody. But if Kuminga and Wiseman play well, the Golden State Warriors could actually win the next three or four championships," he said.

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