Before the Lakers took on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Trevor Ariza had to deliver a message to Anthony Davis. The 17-year veteran — who won a title with the 2009 Lakers — is be out for at least another month due to ankle surgery he underwent in training camp, and thus is unable to help the team defensively in the way he wants to. But he also knows that Davis can do more to fix the team’s defense, and wanted to push the much younger franchise centerpiece to do so.
So Ariza took Davis aside and delivered a few simple words: “We need you to get us going defensively.