The Los Angeles Lakers' season ended far before the club would have wanted with a 103-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Before the series, many expected the Lakers to emerge victorious, though it's safe to say that TNT analyst Charles Barkley was not surprised by the outcome, given his frank analysis of Los Angeles on Inside the NBA.

Like only he can, Barkley bluntly dismissed the Lakers as a flawed defensive team, singling out four-time NBA MVP LeBron James and five-time All-Star Luka Doncic, for whom he reserved his most ruthless line.

"Number one—They gotta get some more athletic ability," Barkley said. "They can't guard anybody. So they're gonna have to find somebody to cover for LeBron and Luka defensively. Because LeBron don't play defense anymore. Luka can't gurd a chair. And you're gonna have to have Wilt [Chamberlain], Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and Bill Russell back there blocking shots if they're gonna keep anyone in front of them."

For a period of games from January 30 (pre-Anthony Davis trade) up until March 6 (post-Doncic trade), the Lakers led the NBA in defensive rating. A seemingly more-engaged James had ramped up his intensity on that end of the floor. Even Doncic, never regarded as an All-NBA caliber defensive player, was holding his own.

But in the five-game series vs. Minnesota, the Lakers' defense came undone. Los Angeles surrendered 116-plus points to the Timberwolves in three of its four losses, struggled to defend the three-point line and, with no true rim protector down low, allowed Minnesota to attack the paint with impunity.

It's no wonder that Barkley was critical of the Lakers' defense. Los Angeles certainly has work to do this offseason.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Charles Barkley Blasts Luka Doncic With Ruthless Line After Lakers’ Playoff Exit.

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