The 2023-24 iteration of the Los Angeles Lakers are no strangers to needing motivational pep talks to recalibrate them. Without LeBron James, they lost a tough contest that came down to the wire versus the Utah Jazz, 132-125. This loss knocked the Lakers below the Houston Rockets

The Lakers’ other superstar in Anthony Davis is not going to allow the Lakers to descend any further. While he recorded a triple-double of 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists to go with four blocks against the Jazz, he also had six turnovers and shot a woeful 5-of-21 from the field. For comparison, his matchup in Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points with nine rebounds and five assists on 8-of-16 shooting.

When asked about the status of the team, Davis was quoted as saying (via The Athletic), “We’re not in a bad spot. It could be worse. We still have enough to win basketball games. But we just got to keep going — 40 games, 42 left. We got to make a push. These next five or six games at home are going to be a big stretch of games for us.”

The Lakers’ supporting cast sans LeBron James and Anthony Davis have to step up immensely and more consistently. Sixth man point guard D’Angelo Russell led the team in scoring versus the Jazz with a season-high 39 points, while Austin Reaves was second in scoring with an efficient 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Rui Hachimura chipped in with 17 on 6-of-12 shooting, while Christian Wood finished with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

Davis’ sentiments do ring true in terms of the name talent that the Lakers field on paper. But championships are won with on-court production, and given that the Lakers have gone 3-7 in their last 10 games, a change must occur and soon.