Skills Science: The Lakers needed Dennis Schröder on both ends of the floor

Dennis Schröder made his return after missing four games, and showed why he was the remedy for the Lakers’ recent struggles.

Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder returned on Friday after missing four games due to the NBA’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols — he never tested positive for the virus, but was held out due to contact tracing — and boy, did he show why the team missed him so much on both ends of the floor while losing all four games.

However, that all changed vs. the Portland Trailblazers, with Schröder showcasing his impact on both sides of the floor in the 102-93 win. In this video, I highlighted six phases of play that Schröder impacted, and that the Lakers dearly missed while he was out:

My goal is to produce these “Skills Science” segments to highlight certain trends and patterns over the course of the season, and hopefully they provide a little more detail about the technical aspects of movement, skills and the game of basketball itself.

In the meantime, what were some elite skills, plays and details that stood out to you? Let me know in the comments below this post.

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 perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and Laker Film Room. You can follow him on Twitter at @3cbPerformance.