Film Study: Breaking down Austin Reaves’ elite play vs. the Warriors

The Lakers went into Oracle Arena this past Saturday looking for a statement victory, but came up two points short, ultimately losing 117-115. But regardless of the result, there was a level of effort, chemistry, and connectivity that the team have rarely shown this season, a point that LeBron James touched on following the game.

One of the main players contributing to each of those factors — and playing arguably the best game of his professional career considering the circumstances — was rookie guard Austin Reaves. He was, as the kids say, ballin.

In the following video, I deconstructed Reaves’ best plays of the night, and the key skills underlying each of them:

This performance was yet another game and showcase for Reaves, who has gone from undrafted rookie to integral piece for this Lakers team. His ongoing play will be key for the team’s playoff push, and he also may soon find himself in an even larger — and much deserved — role in the wake of Avery Bradley now dealing with knee soreness and swelling.

Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own in-person and online sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA in which he further combines his movement expertise and fitness training. 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 4 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), has a background in youth basketball coaching 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 at @3cbPerformance.