Montrezl Harrell’s secret weapon for dominating the paint

If there is one thing you’ve probably noticed about Montrezl Harrell while watching him with the Lakers this season, it’s that he’s an absolute force in the paint offensively, often dominating opponents with a plethora of moves, on the offensive glass, and perhaps most strikingly, as a roll man.

The latter has been on full display since the team returned from the All-Star break to the tune of Harrell shooting over 70% from the field, with the offense making a concerted effort to involve Harrell more in the pick and roll — particularly with Marc Gasol still missing due to health and safety protocols, which leaves a significant playmaking hole to fill.

Harrell possesses an array of unique skills and attributes when rolling to the rim, but there’s one strength in particular that stands out — his incredible ability to catch the ball regardless of how well placed the pass is. Or, as his head coach Frank Vogel puts it, “he catches everything, and he finishes everything. He’s got a tremendous wingspan and he’s got great hands.”

It’s a skill Harrell attributes to his diverse sports background in discus, shot put, and playing tight end in football (LeBron can relate). In this video, I detailed Harrell’s incredible catching ability, and overall catch radius:

So if you want your kid to dominate like Montrezl, you’d better build them a mound in the backyard and get them started on some shot put.

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 LA and Valencia, CA. 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 1.5 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), and analyzes the Lakers from a medical and skills perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and on his own YouTube Channel. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @3cbPerformance.