My Three Favorite Details (Extended Edition!): LeBron James puts the clamps on Jamal Murray, Dwight Howard dominates the glass and more

Welcome to the latest — and a special extended — edition of “My Three Favorite Details,” a weekly video series in which I usually go over the 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).

This week, though, in honor of the Lakers booking their trip to the NBA Finals, I’ve included multiple plays under each category, and one moment that showcases all three in combination.

Today’s video encompasses the final three games of the Lakers’ series against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. These were some of my favorite things that I noticed:

So there you go. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope attacking a close-out extremely effectively with a coordinated swing-through, Alex Caruso using leverage and his base of support to shut down a post-play, Danny Green reading a drive and dish to snuff out a play at the rim, LeBron James being two steps ahead of the defense with a quick hit-ahead pass, Dwight Howard shrugging off defenders to go up for a monstrous and-1 put back jam, and LeBron with an incredible adjustment catch-and-spin landing to convert a layup. Lastly, and certainly not least, LeBron and Rajon Rondo navigating pick-and-roll coverage in perfect sync, with the former putting the clamps on Jamal Murray on the ensuing drive to the basket.

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’ current run. 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.