Charles Barkley rips Luka Doncic: 'You've got to get in shape'

As was the case in the first four games, the Timberwolves' ball-handlers hunted Luka Doncic in their 103-96 series-clinching Game 5 victory. 

There were multiple instances when Julius Randle stormed past Doncic, facing little resistance from the Slovenian at the point of attack. Similarly, Rudy Gobert feasted in the paint every time Doncic switched onto the 7-footer as part of the Lakers' small-ball lineup.

TNT's Charles Barkley felt Doncic's substandard defense was directly related to his poor physical fitness.

"Luka can't guard a chair," Barkley said. "He's gotta get in better shape too. At some point, you can't have people saying that about you. You're an elite player — you're getting ready to get 300-400 million dollars. You've got to get in shape to earn that money. He can't guard anybody."

The Hall of Famer pushed back on the notion that the Lakers' lack of size exacerbated Doncic's defensive issues. He joked that the Lakers could have prime Bill Russell protecting the paint, and it wouldn't matter if Doncic kept getting blown past on the perimeter. 

"You can't just go out and get big guys just because he can't play defense. He gotta learn to play defense and get in shape. Try getting in shape first, and then it would help," Barkley added.