“Warriors are COOKED” – Charles Barkley calls Steph Curry and co. ‘4th best team in California’ as Kevin Durant gets last laugh against former team

After their loss to the Phoenix Suns in the season opener, Charles Barkley bluntly characterized the Golden State Warriors as "cooked."

“Warriors are COOKED” – Charles Barkley calls Steph Curry and co. ‘4th best team in California’ as Kevin Durant gets last laugh against former team

Kevin Durant (L), Charles Barkley (C), Steph Curry (R) (Credits: SI, ESPN and SB Nation)

The Golden State Warriors faced off against the Phoenix Suns in their season opener. The game featured former Warrior Kevin Durant and former Sun Chris Paul playing against their former teams in a battle that involved both teams having dominant quarters. The game ended in a close fashion, with the Suns edging out the Warriors 108-104. Both teams were missing their key players, with Bradley Beal absent for the Suns and Draymond Green for the Warriors.

It wasn’t a particularly efficient game for either team. The Warriors, in particular, had trouble finding their groove beyond the three-point line, hitting just 23% of their shots from long range. Additionally, their lack of size in the lineup made it challenging to defend the opposition effectively. Stephen Curry managed to score 27 points, but he struggled with his three-point shooting, making only 4 out of 14 attempts from beyond the arc.

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The Warriors found themselves trailing 61-46 at halftime, prompting Charles Barkley to criticize their performance, suggesting they were in a tough spot after a disappointing first half.

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He said: 

I try to tell you guys. Everybody can say what they want to, I saw 'em fools on TV today, 'We are not gonna underestimate the Warriors'. The Warriors are cooked.

By the end of the game, his faith in the Warriors had eroded completely, and he went on to claim that they were the fourth-best team in California, ranking behind the Lakers, Kings, and Clippers in his view.

The NBA legend stated:

The Lakers, Sacramento and if the Clippers are healthy, and that's a big if, the Warriors are the fourth best team just in California.

He further added that the Warriors roster is filled with ‘old’ people.

Steph Curry and the Warriors struggle from the field in season opener loss to the Phoenix Suns

The Golden State Warriors had a genuine opportunity to secure a victory in their season opener against the Phoenix Suns. They managed to reduce the deficit they faced going into the third quarter and even took a six-point lead by the end of that quarter. If it hadn’t been for their shooting difficulties, they might have come out on top against the Suns.

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Stephen Curry on the court for the Warriors (Cary Edmondson//USA TODAY Sports/Reuters)

Stephen Curry led the scoring with 27 points, but his 8-20 shooting from the field, and 4-14 from three-point range showed some struggles. His teammates Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins combined for a tough 8-30 from the field. Newcomer Chris Paul had a challenging debut, shooting 4-15 from the field, while Dario Saric managed to go 3-11 from the field. Gary Payton II failed to make a field goal in five attempts.

The Warriors heavily rely on their shooting prowess, and when that falters, they lack the size advantage to stop opposing teams from scoring. To have a shot at another championship, they need to improve their shooting accuracy from the field.

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