An NBA Western Conference Finals rematch in the opening round of the 2023–24 playoffs thrilled the basketball community. Though they swiftly built up a 12-point lead in the second quarter, which prompted former NBA icon Charles Barkley to criticize the Los Angeles team, many were upset to see the Lakers lose Game 1 to the Nuggets.
Barkley expresses concern that D’Angelo Russell may face the same fate as Russell Westbrook, citing the Lakers’ prior choice to place responsibility on Westbrook. The hosts of Inside the NBA analyzed the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets first-round match on one of the shows.
Does Charles Barkley have a point about Lakers and D’Angelo Russell ?
As they spoke, Barkley disclosed D’Angelo Russell‘s future as well as the actions of the Lakers.
“One thing you can always count on with the Lakers, they gon’ throw somebody under the bus when they lose. Going back to Russell Westbrook, going back to Frank Vogel, now it’s D’Angelo Russell…The Denver Nuggets are a better team than the Lakers. I didn’t like how they called D’Angelo out after Game 1.”
“Kid’s not trying to miss shots but they’re beating them in every aspect of the game. They’re not just beating them at D’Angelo’s position. I hope he has a good game but the Nuggets; they’re just a better team than the Lakers. It has nothing to do with D’Angelo or Rui or whatever. The Denver Nuggets man, they’re a well oiled machine.”
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Charles Barkley’s tirade against the Lakers began after head coach Darvin Ham gently drew attention to Russell’s dismal shooting performance for the evening. Although Ham attempted to present a positive image of D-Lo’s bad shooting performance, the focus soon shifted to Russell being held responsible for the Game 1 defeat. Charles Barkley was not pleased with this, either.
The supporters of the Los Angeles Lakers last year held Russell Westbrook accountable for the team’s slow start, failing to take into account his actions the year before when LeBron James and Anthony Davis lost time off the court.
And now that the Lakers lost Game 1, a similar situation is emerging.
