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Welcome to the latest edition of “My three favorite details,” a weekly video series in which I detail three plays or moments from the previous week of Lakers games that jumped off the screen to me, with one play highlighting elite movement mechanics, one highlighting physical attributes (speed, power, balance, agility, etc), and one highlighting mental skills (awareness, anticipation, reading of the game).
Today’s video encompasses the final three games (Games 3-5) of the Lakers vs. Trail Blazers playoff series. These were some of my favorite things that I noticed:
So there you have it. LeBron James pulling up from 35 feet near the logo with his own version of Damian Lillard’s logo jumpshot and showing off his own very fluid mechanics. Further, a combination of Alex Caruso and Dwight Howard showing off great physical closeout ability paired with elite reading and anticipation of the game in a defensive transition scramble situation, finished by Kyle Kuzma winning the rebound vs. a much lengthier Hassan Whiteside by simply tapping the ball over to a teammate rather than trying to bring it down himself.
That’s it for this edition of my three favorite details, but I’m going to be doing these here and on my YouTube channel on a weekly basis throughout the Lakers’ restart. If you see something you think should be included during the week, tweet it at me at @3cbPerformance, or let me know if there was anything you loved from last week in the comments below.
Dr. Rajpal Brar has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West Los Angeles and Valencia, CA along with providing online consultation services. He also works at a hospital — giving him experience with patients in the immediate healthcare setting and neurological patients (post stroke, post brain injury) — and has been practicing for over three years. Dr. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), and analyzes the Lakers from a medical perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and Laker Film Room.