Something drastic needs to happen to the Phoenix Suns.
Once seen as the best team in the West, the Suns are now looking awful and light-years away from returning to the NBA Finals.
After a devastating loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, the team is now 12th in the West.
The breakdown of this team is due to many reasons, but NBA icon and former Suns player Charles Barkley has some insight into what’s gone wrong.
"My team is broken. First of all, I don't think they like each other. Once you lose that trust, I don't think you can get it back. To be on. winning team, y'all have to be connected… They've lost that connectivity."
Charles Barkley on the Phoenix Sunspic.twitter.com/mJwHUmeW7l
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 17, 2023
Speaking on TNT Monday night, Barkley didn’t hold back about the team’s relationships:
“My team is broken. First of all, I don’t think they like each other. Once you lose that trust, I don’t think you can get it back. To be on. winning team, y’all have to be connected… They’ve lost that connectivity.”
What Barkley said is startling but it isn’t new.
In fact, there have been rumors of fractured relationships inside the team for some time now.
The most notable would be the one between Deandre Ayton and head coach Monty Williams.
Ever since last postseason’s collapse, things haven’t seemed very friendly between those two.
But Barkley seems to think that multiple athletes within the organization don’t care for one another.
What can be done about that?
There is no doubt that the Suns have an incredibly talented roster and wonderful skills but if they don’t want to play with one another, they won’t have the drive needed to win.
Time is really running out for the Suns.
They either need to get on the same page, make a trade shortly, or decide that this season is a lost cause.
But if they take that third option, what lies ahead for them?
Their time with Chris Paul is nearing an end and there are already calls for Williams or certain players to be dealt away.
How can anyone get along under such pressure?
NEXT: The Suns Have Been A Disaster Without Their Star