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“You can’t go to war with three old guys” – Charles Barkley Gets Honest on Warriors’ Downfall Amid Jonathan Kuminga Mayhem

Charles Barkley made a brutal statement on the Golden State Warriors' downfall in the NBA playoffs.

Image Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors failed to survive in the conference semifinals as they suffered a 121-110 loss to the Timberwolves on Wednesday night. With a 4-1 loss in the series, the Dubs have been eliminated in the second round. The Warriors couldn’t deliver in offense after Stephen Curry’s hamstring injury and lost four straight games for the first time in postseason since 1972.

It was strange to see that Golden State couldn’t even compete without Steph Curry, who is proved to be a heart of their entire offensive operation. The NBA Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley wasn’t happy with the Warriors’ overreliance on three veteran stars. He was talking on the TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ show after the Timberwolves’ series win.

Could Golden State have won the series with a healthy Steph Curry?

The Guys have mixed opinions 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/VDm0AfThd4
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 15, 2025

Also Read: NBA Playoffs Timberwolves vs Warriors Game 5: Anthony Edwards and Co. Advance to Conference Finals for Second Straight Season

Charles Barkley Sheds Light on Warriors’ Overreliance on Curry, Butler, and Green

Charles Barkley made a brutal admission on the Golden State Warriors’ downfall in the NBA playoffs. He gave some key reasons for the series loss including not picking Jonathan Kuminga regularly and relying majorly on big stars like Steph Curry.

“They’ve got three old guys. Man, the Kuminga thing is interesting.” Barkley said on the show. “Cause the three old guys are making a lot of money, so you’re pretty much stuck with them for the next two years.”

Barkley dropped hammer on the Warriors’ game plan which doesn’t have Jonathan Kuminga. The young forward struggled to find a place in the team since his comeback from injury. However, Curry’s injury exposed Steve Kerr as Kuminga alone fought well for the Warriors in the series.

“And the Kuminga thing, we’re in the back like damn! He either plays or he doesn’t play, but now you got to make a decision, whether to pay him or not,” Barkley added.

"The [Jonathan] Kuminga thing is interesting… He either plays or he doesn't play. But now you gotta make a decision… You can't go to war with three old guys against the West."

Charles Barkley on the Warriors 👀

(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/MHz4UofnOr
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 15, 2025

“They didn’t extend him (Kuminga), and they also don’t play him when Steph is there”, added Kenny Smith, the co-host of TNT’s show.

“I’m gonna disagree with you,” Barkley further added. “He’s the only one on that bench that’s explosive. You can’t go to war with three old guys (Curry, Butler and Green) against the West. He was the only guy out there where you can say, ‘he can play with these Minnesota Timberwolves guys.’

“But he is a restricted free agent, which means…I don’t want to make a comment because they know him better than we do. They didn’t extend him when all the other rookies (from his class) got extended, so it tells me they don’t believe in him.”

Also Read: Charles Barkley Blames Nikola Jokic’s Fatigue For Nuggets’ Game 5 Loss vs. Thunder, Wants Teammates To Back Him Up

After being benched in the first-round series against the Rockets, Jonathan Kuminga was the lone performer for the Warriors. He provided a big support to Butler, who also struggled this time. The young forward averaged 24.25 points per game on 55 FG%. He scored 26 points on Wednesday’s loss. Kuminga had a playoff career-high 30 points in Game 3 where Golden State almost won the game but failed due to 4th quarter shooting slump.

Jonathan Kuminga, a restricted free agent this summer, will most likely not return to the Warriors next season.

Golden State may not have enough faith to offer him a long-term deal, and there will be other suitors willing to invest in the untapped potential of the 22-year-old.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) May 15, 2025

“The point I’m making — old people get older. Steph gonna be a year older. Jimmy Butler gonna be a year older. Draymond gonna be a year older. The notion that you think they’re going to be better a year from now, they just going to be older,” Charles Barkley pointed out. “The one thing about sports: Father Time, he ain’t never going to lose.”

Kuminga will be a restricted free agent, and he will be on radar of the top teams this summer. The Warriors have to make a call on the 22-year-old. Either they can let him go or keep him in the roster. The Warriors offer Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green a combined $139.6 million and $147 million over the next two seasons. It means, there is a slim chance of seeing Kuminga in the Warriors’ outfit next season.

Image Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.