You know what’s wild? Anthony Davis came out and straight-up said the Lakers need another big man to really contend for a championship. He told ESPN’s Shams Charania that they’re just a couple of players away, and he specifically mentioned needing a center. You’d think that would’ve been the big story, right? But nope—guys like Mike Bresnahan and other national reporters didn’t give it much attention. Instead, Lakers legend James Worthy shifted the spotlight, and honestly, he nailed it.

Worthy didn’t focus on Davis’ call for reinforcements. Instead, he highlighted the real reason the Lakers beat the Warriors 118-108: Draymond Green wasn’t playing. That’s what changed everything. Without Green, the Warriors’ defense fell apart, especially in the fourth quarter. And that’s where LeBron James and AD worked their magic with the pick-and-roll.

Worthy laid it out perfectly: “When you get into that fourth quarter, big game, milking that pick-and-roll with LeBron and AD, that’s a beautiful thing to have down the stretch.” He’s not wrong. Without Green’s defensive presence, the Warriors had no one to slow Davis down. And man, did Davis take advantage—dropping 36 points and grabbing 13 rebounds like it was nothing.

Look, Green is one of the league’s top defenders. Without him, the Warriors’ defense just didn’t have the same bite. Worthy made that clear, saying, “Davis took advantage of what Golden State didn’t have, and that was a defender that could stop him tonight.”

You could see it on the court. Davis was dominating inside, both offensively and defensively, and the Warriors couldn’t do much about it. It’s one thing to be good, but when your opponent is missing their best defensive player? That’s when you really capitalize—and Davis did exactly that.

Davis at Center: A Role He Doesn’t Love but Handles Like a Pro

Here’s the thing: Anthony Davis has always said he prefers playing power forward. He’s not shy about it. But in this game, he showed why he’s so valuable. Worthy even poked fun, saying, “AD saying pretty publicly, look, I prefer to play the four. I want to play the four. He looked pretty good at the five tonight.”

He wasn’t just “pretty good,” though. Davis filled the center role brilliantly, holding it down on defense and stepping up offensively. That versatility? It’s a game-changer for the Lakers.

And don’t forget about LeBron. He and Davis were on fire together. Their pick-and-roll combo tore through the Warriors’ defense, especially with Green out. As Worthy pointed out, when these two are clicking, they’re almost impossible to stop.

Now, Davis’ comment about needing another big guy might still come up—it’s a fair concern. But the national reporters who brushed it aside, like Bresnahan, missed the bigger picture. This game wasn’t about who the Lakers don’t have. It was about what they do have: two superstars who can dominate when it counts.

Sure, adding another big man might help. But the Lakers showed they’ve already got what it takes to compete. As long as LeBron and Davis keep doing what they’re doing, this team can go far—with or without reinforcements.