Magic Johnson was brought in to turn the Los Angeles Lakers franchise around, and so far things are looking up. 

Lonzo Ball looked as-advertised at summer league, passing his way to being crowned MVP in Las Vegas. Kyle Kuzma was a revelation, arguably the biggest breakout star in Sin City. Brook Lopez and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are solid veteran pickups. Things are looking up on the roster. 

The Lakers haven't made the playoffs since 2013, only to be swept by the San Antonio Spurs following Kobe Bryant's Achilles injury. It's been a long road since then for LA, but the franchise has to be feeling good about how much progress has been made heading into next season. 

One person who's not impressed, though? Charles Barkley. Sir Charles has never been shy about sharing his opinion, and TMZ Sports caught him outside of what appears to be an airport terminal. Barkley was asked for his thoughts on whether the Lakers or Philadelphia 76ers were better, and he didn't pause long before picking the Sixers

He was also asked whether he believes the Lakers could make the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference, and not only did he immediately respond with a no, but followed it up with a "heeeeeell no." It appears Barkley isn't as big on Ball leading the Lakers to the promised lands as a rookie. 

The Western Conference playoffs won't be easy to make, so it's not necessarily crazy to think a team that hasn't made the playoffs in years, and has been one of the worst teams in the NBA, isn't going to dive into the postseason yet. 

To put it into perspective, the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder are all locks in the West. The Minnesota Timberwolves likely are too following the acquisition of Jimmy Butler. That leaves three spots that aren't locks, and teams like the LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers to fight over them. 

In short, it's not an easy path to the playoffs, and the Lakers have an uphill battle to claim one of the final spots.

Barkley also had some advice for Lonzo, who may still be in the market to sign a shoe deal even after launching his own Big Baller Brand sneakers. Ball wore shoes from Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and Jordan Brand during summer league. 

When asked if Ball should sign a shoe deal or stick with promoting BBB, Barkley went to bat for the company that he signed with back when he was a player

"Sign with Nike... they're not going to low-ball him. Nike never low-balls anybody," Barkley said.