Shaquille O’Neal Sets New Goal for Warriors After Klay Thompson’s Disappointed Play-In Display

The Kings eliminated the Warriors in the play-in, therefore making one half of Shaquille O’Neal’s prediction on Inside the NBA not come true. So it came on Shaq to explain why on the TNT show again. Charles Barkley will be pleased because diehard Dubs fan, Shaq is finally agreeing with him. It could be the disappointing showing by Klay Thompson that changed his mind but he has a strong advice for the Warriors who lost 94-118 if they want to keep the dynasty going.

“I think they need to think about getting younger,” Shaq said about the roster of veterans on the Warriors squad. He referred to Coach Steve Kerr’s comments that they can’t stay on top forever adding, “Chuck talks about it all the time and it’s true. They’re just older now.” He also clarified to Kenny’s point that they need both younger veterans and younger draft picks.

Leading up to the play-in, O’Neal was extremely confident that the last seed teams full of veterans in the West, that are the Lakers and Warriors, will easily secure playoff berth. A few days ago, he picked the Warriors over the Lakers for better odds. Shaq’s Lakers as he predicted, beat the Pelicans 110-106. But the Warriors made him eat his words. Particularly 34-year-old Klay Thompson who didn’t make a single point in the game, going 0/10 from the field and 0/6 from three.

Steph Curry was the only one to go over 20 with 22 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. But at 36, he’s losing valuable athletic time to make a deeper playoff run. Draymond Green, also a veteran on the team, matched Andrew Wiggins with 12 points a piece. Another younger player, Jonathan Kuminga was held at 16 while 21-year-old Brandin Podziemski made 5 points.

The TNT panel agreed with Shaq. That’s more than what Chuck got. By most estimates, Curry is a lock for the next season, That leaves the Inside Guys analysing Klay’s future with the Dubs.

Chuck finally gets credit

Well before the season began, Charles Barkley has been calling the Warriors ‘old.’ His comments ranged from calling them “cooked” to the worst team in California. He was hoping they’d change it up before the trade deadline which didn’t happen. Unlike Shaq, he was sure the Warriors were going to struggle against the Kings ahead of the game.

He repeated one of his older statements about the Dubs too with the reminder that old people, “just get older, they don’t get healthier, they don’t get better.” He’s particularly seeing the wear and tear is affecting Klay.

After the game, Barkley is pushing for the Warriors to finally make a decision on Thompson. Everyone who called him crazy for calling the Warriors old are seeing his point now which makes him double down that a decision needs to be made on Thompson. What do you think is in order for the Dubs?