The Los Angeles Lakers were under constant scrutiny since the season began due to their below-average performances. Despite having LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the team, the Lakers failed to rise to the occasion as fans had expected. When the trade deadline neared, LA’s GM Rob Pelinka made some pretty questionable changes to the roster that made the NBA world skeptical. Charles Barkley was the most vocal among the critics about the Lakers’ constant failure. However, the latest face-off between the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies left the NBA veteran stunned.

After officially retiring from the league, Charles Barkley took up the job as an analyst and it’s a position that the Hall of Famer takes seriously. Chuck has time and again criticized the Lakers franchise for making a series of arguable decisions.

Charles Barkley acknowledges the Lakers’ accomplishment

Following the impressive display of skills during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Lakers became the talk of the town. In the post-game episode of Inside the NBA, co-host Charles Barkley couldn’t help but praise Rob Pelinka for the decisions he made ahead of the trade deadline.

The Lakers had recently acquired Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards and D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota Timberwolves. Additionally, they made significant changes to the roster by acquiring Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, and Mo Bamba before the 2023 deadline.

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Reflecting on the new Lakers roster, Barkley said, “I mean they got like real NBA players. Reaves [Austin] has been playing fantastic the whole time but what Rob Pelinka did during this trade deadline, man it made them like legit contenders because they were trash the last couple of years on the bench. And now, all of a sudden they are like, man they got like legitimate players.?

The NBA world praises Austin Reaves

While the new players in the Lakers roster are commendable, one of the older Lakers stars, Austin Reaves became the star of the night. Rui Hachimura led the team to victory by dropping 29 points and rebounds. However, Reaves’ 14-point outburst in the fourth quarter left several veteran sports personalities stunned.

The 24-year-old star guard recorded a total of 23 points, three rebounds, and four assists in his first playoffs game of his career. While LeBron and AD contributed with great performances as well, the Lakers would be happy that there were two guys who scored more than the dynamic duo.

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What are your thoughts on Barkley’s changed stance on the once “trash” Lakers? Let us know in the comments.