JJ Redick drops blunt reaction on locker room vibes after Anthony Davis publicly demands GM Rob Pelinka to land a center

NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Thursday that Anthony Davis felt the LA Lakers “need another big.” Davis added that he is at his best when he plays power forward beside another center. AD continued that proof of the effectiveness of that strategy was the Lakers’ 2020 championship when the team had Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee.

Lakers coach JJ Redick had this to say when asked how Davis’ demand for a center affected the locker room (via Jovan Buha):

“None”

Anthony Davis emphasized on the “perfect construction” of the title-winning 2020 roster in the interview. According to him, the Lakers had the size to let him play power forward, the position he calls his natural spot. LA’s lineups over the past three seasons have demanded he patrol the middle, a situation he wants GM Rob Pelinka to fix.

Dwight Howard started at center in multiple playoff games in 2020. In the finals that year, he lined up for the tip-off in Games 1-5. It wasn’t until the game-clinching Game 6 that Frank Vogel changed the starting five by inserting Alex Caruso for the big man.

Rob Pelinka recently shored up the frontline by waiving Quincy Olivari, a two-way player and fan favorite, for journeyman big Trey Jemison III. JJ Redick has slotted Jemison behind Jaxson Hayes as the third-string center. Redick has not played Anthony Davis and Jemison at the same time.

Pelinka also bolstered the wing defense by sending D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. AD said the LA Lakers were “1-2” pieces away from contending for the championship.

---

Fans react to JJ Redick’s comment about the locker room vibe following Anthony Davis’ demand to land another center

With fans highly anticipating the rematch between the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors, JJ Redick's comment promptly went viral. It didn’t take long for reactions to flood the post by Buha:

“good sign tho, atleast its not f**king the chemistry up”

One fan said:

“media really tryna start s**t lol”

@JovanBuhaMuse added:

“They told Jaxon Hayes not to say a word”

Another fan commented:

“Yeah because they all know it's true lol”

@Chuckee202 reacted:

“Zero..just talking nonsense”

The Lakers are fifth in the Western Conference with a 24-18 record ahead of their game against the Warriors. However, they are only three games ahead of the 11th-placed Dubs.