Anthony Davis' arrival in Los Angeles has put the Lakers on an automatic championship-bound mission, and while he's yet to discuss those hefty expectations with the rest of his teammate, it feels unnecessary to do so after the series of changes the franchise has gone through this summer.

“We haven’t talked about it yet, but I don’t think it needs to be said,” Davis told Peter Flax of Red Bull's The Red Bulletin. “I think that any time that you’re on, your goal is always to win a championship. If it’s not, I don’t understand why you’re playing.”

Another storyline that will be imprinted on this season is their now-even rivalry with the LA Clippers, as they will meet at least four times this upcoming season, with the potential to meet again in the postseason for some extra fireworks. The Clippers snatched away the possibility of a Lakers superteam after signing Kawhi Leonard, who brought over Paul George in a conditional packaged deal — forcing the Clippers to trade for George to muster his services.

“I’m not sure what the Clippers are thinking,” said Davis. “But I know what the Lakers are thinking — and that’s to play basketball. Obviously, they have a great team, but we know that for us it’s going to be bigger than a rivalry. You know, winning a rivalry game doesn’t win the championship. So for us the goal is to win a championship this year.”

This is the first time in NBA history where both franchises are this even in terms of firepower, which is bound for a real show for Angelenos and the rest of NBA fans. Davis seems to have his eyes on the prize, no matter the storylines, which should only make for a more focused effort in the upcoming season.