Lakers' Anthony Davis: Lots of Things to Clean Up Before We Can Compete for NBA Title

Anthony Davis had an honest assessment of where the Los Angeles Lakers stand in the Western Conference hierarchy after Thursday's loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Speaking to reporters, Davis said the Lakers have "a lot of things" to clean up before they can think about competing for a title.

Since the Lakers didn't make any moves before the trade deadline, they are rolling with the roster they've had for the remainder of this season, pending any additions on the buyout market.

When discussing what the Lakers can do with this group to potentially make a run, LeBron James pointed out that, first and foremost, they need to get players healthy.

The points made by Davis and James go hand in hand. They haven't been playing sharp basketball for most of the season in large part because of the constant turnover on the roster due to injuries.

Gabe Vincent has only played in five games due to a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery on Dec. 28. The Lakers said he would be re-evaluated in eight weeks, which would be around Feb. 22.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported on Monday that Vincent is "recuperating on schedule."

Jarred Vanderbilt might need season-ending surgery on his sprained right foot, but general manager Rob Pelinka said on Thursday they are "hopeful" he can avoid that. He will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.

Cam Reddish has missed the past eight games due to an ankle injury. Rui Hachimura dealt with injuries earlier in the season, but he's been able to play in 14 consecutive games since returning on Jan. 13.

It's impossible for a team to build chemistry on the court if that many players are missing a lot of time.

Adding to the frustration for the Lakers is those injuries have happened as Davis and James have been mostly healthy thus far. They have combined to miss only 10 games so far this season.