Barkley questions James and Doncic’s ability to play together
After the initial “is this real?” or “did Shams’ account get hacked?” the most pressing question following Sunday’s mind-bending Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis blockbuster might be how the Slovenian superstar fits next to King James.
After the initial “is this real?” or “did Shams’ account get hacked?” the most pressing question following Sunday’s mind-bending Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis blockbuster might be how the Slovenian superstar fits next to King James.
Charles Barkley certainly thinks so, and was frank about his thoughts on the matter during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up.
“I don’t think Luka and LeBron can play together, that’s my personal opinion,” said Barkley to Mike Greenberg and Michael Wilbon Monday morning. “Because neither one of them can play without the ball. That’s going to be very fascinating.”
Barkley has a point, as both Dončić and James have usage rates greater than 29 per cent – 31.9 and 29.2, respectively – both of which are 92nd percentile and above. And while usage rate only includes possessions finished by a shot, free throw attempt(s), or a turnover, both players rank among the league leaders in assists and assist percentage. All that to say: they both have the ball in their hands a lot.
So if the pair isn’t suited to play together based on their play styles, what motivated the move for the Lakers?
“So (if we’re) looking at them down the line — I think they brought LeBron in to be a mentor for Luka,” said Barkley. “Like Mike just said it, LeBron’s body is incredible. He’s one of the greatest, greatest players ever. But from conditioning, they’re hoping that rubs off on Luka. But I don’t think they’re going to have great success together.”
James is widely considered to have one of the most advanced and effective conditioning and recovery plans of any professional athlete, and is known for his steadfast commitment to his health. It is undoubtably a key factor in the all-time great maintaining his dominance on the court into his age-40 season. Doncic on the other hand received widely publicized criticism from the Mavericks front office for his lack of attention to his conditioning and diet.
“This to me, was the first decision the Lakers made, like, we have to think about life after LeBron,” said Barkley.
