Amid swirling rumors of a Los Angeles Lakers front office losing faith in another championship push and the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis being frustrated with the organization as a result, Thursday night felt like an empathic message.
The Lakers hosted the defending champion Boston Celtics and absolutely gave them the business at Crypto.com Arena. It was a commanding 117-96 victory for the purple and gold.
Perhaps the timing of it all opens the door for too much inferring into what this game represented. However, it does not feel coincidental to see the Lakers play their best basketball against the Celtics.
Build for the future, or fight in the present?
Even if Boston has looked a touch underwhelming since the new calendar year began, the Celtics will always be a measuring stick game for anyone that fancies themselves a championship hopeful. 'To be the best, you have to beat the best' is how the old expression goes.
The NBA Playoffs are obviously a different animal than the regular season. That being said, what better way is there to build confidence as a group than blowing out the champs?
The Lakers got strong performances from their three key cogs. Davis showcased his dominance with 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and one steal. James showed his versatility with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists. Austin Reaves continued to shine with 23 points and six assists.
There were a couple of strong performances besides for the usual suspects. Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht looked solid off the bench, combining for 25 points. However, there should be no doubt that James, Davis, and Reaves were the driving forces behind the strong win.
Seeing the Lakers play so well on the heels of Shams Charania releasing his sit-down interview with the Lakers big man is where it truly feels as though this was a calculated measure from the stars of this team.
Lakers' Anthony Davis sits down for ESPN: “One, we want to win it for the city. Two, we never got a parade. Three, it’s a lot of talk about an asterisk … We are (1-2 pieces away). I really feel like we are.”
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 24, 2025
On roster needs, JJ Redick, motivations alongside LeBron James, more: pic.twitter.com/AHe6pfHxjB
The Lakers are currently occupying the fifth seed in the Western Conference, three games back of breaking into the top four. They are in a stronger position at this point in the season during 2024-25 than they were last year.
Despite that, there is still ground to be made up before the Lakers can truly be taken seriously as a legitimate championship threat. This is where it feels like the disconnect exists between the front office and stars.
"League sources told ESPN that James and Davis are growing concerned about the Lakers' ability to make significant roster upgrades with their two tradeable first-rounders."Shams Charania
Based on what Charania reported, the superstar pairing in Los Angeles seem to be under the impression their window is far from being closed. It remains questionable whether Pelinka and management are truly bought in on the idea themselves.
It will be tough to shake the following question from one's head. If this version of the Lakers can take it to the Celtics in the manner in which they did, what truly is the ceiling for a group with one or two more notable upgrades?