Charles Barkley says Steve Nash can’t save the Lakers

Charles Barkley doesn’t think that the Lakers are a championship contender.

Not even with Steve Nash back in the mix.

“Never start a conversion with, ‘There’s help on the way from a 39-year-old,’” Barkley said of Nash on “Mike & Mike” on ESPN Radio. “That’s never a good way to start a conversation. There’s help on the way, but he’s 39 years old. It’s not going to work. They’re not a contender.”

The Lakers may have some of the best players in the game in Nash, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol -- but Barkley doesn’t think that their talent can compensate for their age.

“They’re old, slow and unathletic,” Barkley said. “I have great respect for Kobe Bryant but I never thought this thing was going to work. Everybody went crazy when they won a couple games in a row but they’re old, slow and unathletic.”

The Lakers are 14-15 and are in 11th place in the 15-team Western Conference. It’s not quite where they were expected to sit after acquiring Howard and Nash in the off-season.

The team recently pulled together a season-high five-game winning streak, but lost to Denver, 126-114, on Wednesday.

“The Lakers got an old team,” Barkley said. “I hate to keep repeating that. Mike D’Antoni is a very good coach but I never thought they were going to be able to sustain it. You look at the teams in the West. Obviously Oklahoma City is the best team. You got Memphis. You got the Spurs. You got the Clippers. They’re not one of the four best teams in the West so they can get over that and get ready figuring out what they want to do with Dwight Howard. That’s going to be the key, if he’s going to want to stay there or not. That’s going to be the really big decision they got to make.”

ALSO:

Tim Tebow snubbed again; Mark Sanchez to start for Jets on Sunday

Tim Tebow says he didn’t ask Jets not to use him in wildcat Sunday

Cowboys’ Josh Brent indicted on charge of intoxication manslaughter