Charles Barkley believes former MIP has to take next step: "The next evolution is he's gotta learn to make the players around him better"
Charles Barkley had some strong words for Ja Morant on Tuesday. Barkley's remarks came after the Memphis Grizzlies dropped their road game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Speaking on the Inside The NBA show, the Hall of Famer said the 2022 Most Improved Player needs to continue developing his game if he wants to become elite.
"The next evolution for Ja is he's gotta learn to make the players around him better. Now when you are a great player, you can get your shot any time you want to.
"But to take that next step... Sometimes when you make a play, you got to be thinking to yourself, 'I can go around this guy, but I need to get this guy going. I need to get this guy going."
Charles Barkley's comments came after Morant registered only four assists in the game against the Pelicans. The All-Star had 36 points in the 113-102 loss, but also had a game-high 27 attempts from the field.
"The next evolution for Ja is he's gotta make players around him better... I don't think he's added that to his game yet."
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"I hope nothing bad happens" - Charles Barkley expresses sympathy for Ben Simmons as the Brooklyn Nets visit Philadelphia next Tuesday
While Charles Barkley was critical of Ja Morant, the 1993 league MVP expressed some sympathy for Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons ahead of their game against the Philadelphia 76ers next Tuesday.
This would be Simmons' first game versus his former team since he was traded in February 2022 in acrimonious circumstances.
Barkley said:
"I do not feel good about that situation, next Tuesday. He's playing bad. They're going to let him have it. I hope nothing bad happens."
Barkley's co-host Kenny Smith interrupted him at this point to ask, "Bad in what way?"
Barkley replied:
"Like a fan doing something crazy coz it's gonna be bad. He can't even rub it in their face, playing good. So, it's going to be a hostile environment... He's gotta play, but it's going to be bad. Philadelphia don't mess around."
"I do not feel good about that situation... It's gonna be bad... Philadelphia don't mess around."
Charles Barkley on Ben Simmons taking on the Sixers next Tuesday in Philly
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Simmons has struggled this season. Since posting a double-digit scoring average in each of his first four NBA seasons, the three-time All-Star is averaging only 5.8 points in the 10 games he has played for Brooklyn this season. Moreover, ever since Jacque Vaughn was appointed as the head coach of the Nets, Simmons has moved to playing as a backup center.
Charles Barkley was critical of Simmons being asked to play as a reserve.
"I don't understand that at all, why you got him coming off the bench? If they can speed up the pace instead of playing just one-on-one basketball, that's when he's most effective."
The 11-time All-Star and 75th Anniversary team member believes that Simmons needs a psychologist to sort out his issues.
"I think he probably needs a sports psychologist. And I'm not talking about mental, I'm talking about, like, he's frozen on the court. He's not even looking at the basket.
"I have never been on a team where guys had to scream at a guy to shoot the basketball. Ever. I've seen Kyrie yell at him. I've seen the coach yell at him. Mentally, he's blocked right now."
You can watch the full Inside The NBA discussion on Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets here.