As the shorthanded Lakers prove themselves to be the underdogs of the postseason, Charles Barkley identified two players responsible for their run. Obviously, it’s not Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who haven’t been able to log postseason minutes yet. Instead, it’s a player many cynics had the lowest expectations for. Most notably, Barkley didn’t believe the Los Angeles Lakers had a supporting cast that could fill the void without Doncic and Reaves. Three games in, he has been proven wrong.

Between Games 2 and 3 of the Rockets–Lakers series, with LA holding a 2–0 lead against all odds, Sir Charles appeared on ESPN’s Sedano & Kap Morning Show. Before the Lakers extended that lead to 3–0 with a 112–108 OT win, he identified the first of two primary catalysts for the upset.

“Going back to how LeBron has controlled the series with his brain,” Barkley remarked. “I said, ‘Well, number one, he’s 41. I don’t know if he can play an entire game and get 40 points,'” Barkley said of LeBron James, emphasizing that his decision to facilitate rather than dominate the scoring early in games has unlocked the Lakers’ secondary weapons.

“I said, ‘I would come out and pass the ball and get all these other guys going.’ And man, his brain… His brain is to me has probably been the most glaring thing,” he said again to double down on how it’s helping his teammates.

One of those “other guys” has left Barkley particularly stunned. It’s the Lakers’ mid-season acquisition, Luke Kennard. The sharpshooter, whom the Lakers brought in from Atlanta in February, has become a postseason revelation.

“Let me tell you something: that boy Kennard, man, he might be the best shooter in the NBA today,” Barkley declared. “He’s played great.”

Kennard has been the most consistent shooter in the rotation with or without Doncic in the mix. Kennard’s scoring dipped in Game 3 to just 14 points, but he made up for it with six rebounds and six assists, more than his combined totals from the first two games.

With a reliable scorer in Kennard and LeBron’s leadership, the 63-year-old feels this has helped the role players, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, step up their game as well. But again, to Chuck, “It’s all about LeBron’s brain. He’s just been controlling the series.” (Any more brain talk and Barkley could be cast in The Walking Dead.)

Charles Barkley credits the LeBron James-Luke Kennard combination for dominating the Rockets

You can see why Charles Barkley, who had very little faith in the Lakers’ underdog abilities, changed his mind. The Lakers’ 2-0 start, winning Game 1 (107–98) and Game 2 (101–94), felt statistically improbable given the absence of superstar Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves’ combined scoring punch. Until then, no one knew how the Lakers’ B-team and LeBron James could make up for the volume of points after the inconsistencies of the role players.

However, Kennard has arguably been the MVP of the series’ opening act. In Game 1, he exploded for a career playoff-high 27 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point range. He followed that up in Game 2 with 23 points, providing the gravity needed for Marcus Smart (25 points in Game 2) and Deandre Ayton to dominate the interior.

Kennard’s efficiency has forced Rockets coach Ime Udoka into defensive rotations that focus on him. That’s left the lane wide open for LeBron James to drive.

Conversely, Barkley was critical of the Rockets’ lack of imagination, noting that their offense has devolved into “give the ball to Kevin Durant… and let him go one-on-one.” It should be noted that he was referring to Game 2, where Kevin Durant was medically cleared to play. He was ruled out in Games 1 and 3.

While Chuck is prepared for Doncic and Reaves taking over eventually, his assessment is clear: the Lakers may be older and battered, yet they are currently winning the war of the minds.