LeBron James, Anthony Davis ramp up off-court statements with on-court rout of Celtics

LOS ANGELES – After applying public pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers to upgrade the roster with their statements from the court, LeBron James and Anthony Davis backed their claim with a statement win at a critical time in the season.

The Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 117-96 on Thursday for their best win of the season. Los Angeles improved (The last game will be in Los Angeles against the Clippers).

The timing of the victory was important on several fronts. In the whirlwind west, every game matters. Lakers-Celtics games always mean more, and delivering this type of win against this specific opponent is remarkable. Plus, the Lakers have struggled on the road and are putting more emphasis on piling up as many home wins as possible.

In addition to these valid reasons, the primary reason why the win was decisive was the noise that preceded the game. With two weeks until the Feb. 6 trade deadline, James and Davis made it clear they believe this roster still needs work — and they’re not afraid to push for it more directly than in the past.

On Wednesday, ESPN reported that James and Davis “have expressed that they want the franchise to make moves to contend for a championship” and believe the Lakers are “potentially a step or two away” from contention.

On Thursday, Davis doubled down on that sentiment in an interview with ESPN that took place about an hour and a half before tipoff between the Lakers and Celtics.

“I think we need another big,” Davis told ESPN. “I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the four and have a big one out there. We know it worked when we won a championship with Javale (McGee) and Dwight (Howard) on the five and I’m on the four. … We are (a few away). I want to be. “

It’s no secret that Davis has preferred to play Power Forward more than center, or that James and Davis want the Lakers to take bigger swings with their assets and significantly improve the roster. The latter fact has apparently become an annual deadline tradition.

However, the manner in which Davis’ preferences were revealed was somewhat surprising given his typically quiet maneuvering. The softie, who has not tried to apply this type of pressure since he played for New Orleans, where he famously made a controversial exit in 2019. Referring to the team’s needs publicly in a television interview two weeks before the trade deadline, is nothing if not a bold approach.

Davis was asked after Thursday’s game about his comments and if he feels the urgency to pressure the front office.

“We always want to have a championship mindset,” Davis said. “We always want it to be achieved. I think our front office is obviously working. (Lakers General Manager) Rob (Pelinka) is working on trying to improve the team. But for us it’s about going out and playing. Whether something happens or not, we have to go out and compete with what’s in this locker room. Just like we did tonight.

“We’re going on the (Grammy) tour. Not sure what will happen. I know he (Pelinka) is always working the phones and things like that. But at the end of the day, we can’t try to wait for anything. We have to go out and compete and do what we have to do to win basketball games. “

When asked a follow-up question about what he feels is his biggest advantage playing the four against the five, Davis explained that he is more comfortable at the four because of his familiarity and prior success at that position.

“I only started playing the five in 2021,” Davis said. “I wanted stretches, but I was primarily a four. So my whole career I’ve played the four. And we’ve seen how I play. I just feel a little more efficient (on all fours). I mean, (playing the five) has its pros and cons. But the front office knows. I have told them that every year I have been here. So it’s nothing new. But I just feel like, personally, I’m a better player on the four. “

Lakers coach JJ Redick said after the game that he and the organization have been aware of their respective prospects for quite some time.

“No reaction,” Redick said. “I mean, the reality is that it’s not a new report. I got the job six months ago. So I know. I have followed this team since I retired. Just put a date next to it, that’s the report. It’s not a big deal.

“These guys want to win, we want to win. And again, it’s a challenging environment to just go out and shop. Feel very lucky that we are able to execute and have someone like Dorian Finney-Smith on our team. And we’ll continue to watch over the next few weeks. “

Developments off the court overshadowed developments on the court, which was unfortunate for the Lakers considering how well they operated.

They outscored the defending champions, leading by as many as 28 points and countering several Boston mini-runs that would have rattled a less focused group. The Lakers executed Redick’s transition plan with a pass, cross-matched Davis on Jaylen Brown and Rui Hachimura on Kristaps Porziņģis, and even outscored the Celtics, making one more 3-pointer and shooting nearly 9 percent better from beyond the 3-point arc.

They took care of the ball (six turnovers), dominated the glass (plus-11 margin) and made their free throws (18 of 20 for the Lakers versus 12 of 18 for the Celtics). Davis (24 points, eight rebounds and three blocks) James (20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists) and Austin Reaves (23 points and six assists) all played well. Hachimura, Max Christie, Gabe Vincent, Finney-Smith, Jaxson Hayes and Dalton Knecht made timely plays and played their roles.

He does that at 40?! pic.twitter.com/qcysbuargh

– Los Angeles Lakers (@lakers) 24 January 2025

At the same time, the implications of Davis publicly calling for another center and saying the group is another piece or two away are fascinating. It sets up, potentially, for quite a standoff between the front office/organization and its two superstars.

The Lakers stars prefer the all-in route of trading picks and young players to create the best possible roster. Meanwhile, the organization is trying to balance the present and the future, and has a higher bar for trading its first-round picks and younger core players. And this tension sets up an exciting two-week lead up to the deadline.

While the Lakers have certainly made a laundry list of notable favors for James and Davis recently — drafting and signing Bronny James, signing other Klutch sports clients to the back end of the roster and largely allowing both to structure contracts, they would like to – they haven’t been this favorable when it comes to major guard decisions since the Russell Westbrook debacle (a disaster so colossal that it continues to have ripple effects throughout the organization).

James has wanted a third all-star caliber player for years, be it Kyrie Irving, Dejounte Murray or Zach Lavine. If the Lakers gave him the type of roster he desires, it would look pretty different than the current one.

The same can be said for Davis, who said he has tried to get the franchise to invest more heavily at center. Instead, it has been more of an afterthought from a roster construction perspective with the Lakers rotating through DeAndre Jordan, Howard, Wenyen Gabriel, Thomas Bryant, Mo Bamba, Damian Jones, Tristan Thompson, Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood and Harry Giles in the last four seasons.

It’s an uninspiring list; Neither of these players are legitimate options in a championship-level rotation. And the problem has persisted into this season with a two-way center, Christian Koloko, arguably the Lakers’ best backup big up so far (and him approaching the 50-game mark for two-way players earlier than expected).

To Redick’s point, the Lakers took a sharp mid-range swing on Finney-Smith, and he’s looked the part of a playoff-caliber 3-and-D wing. At the same time, there are obvious holes on the roster, like a better backup center, a better backup ballhandler/shot creator and another two-way wing. And if the group is serious about competing, it needs to address at least one, if not two, of those deficiencies.

The pressure is now on the front office and ownership to respond — or not respond — to James and Davis. There is no going back. It was a thing in the past where there were rumors or anonymous reports about how James and Davis felt. But Davis put his name on his feelings, suggesting he will be disappointed if changes aren’t made.

Perhaps this push was too late. Maybe it will make a difference. The answer likely won’t be known for nearly two weeks.

The stakes at this trade deadline were already clear, but now they’ve been raised to an even higher level. There will be lasting fallout from this situation that will likely affect the direction of the franchise this summer and beyond.

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(Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)