Among the many new additions for the Los Angeles Lakers this summer was No. 24 overall pick Cameron Carr out of Baylor University. Carr, a versatile 3-and-D guard/forward, is exactly the type of player that the Lakers have been missing over the last few years, and certainly an archetype that the current team needs.
Carr impressed in his Lakers debut at Summer League, showing real defensive chops and an ability to hit 3-pointers in both catch-and-shoot situations as well as off the dribble. The Lakers are nowhere close to having a set rotation for the upcoming season yet, but reportedly Carr will have a real shot to earn minutes from the jump, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac:
“Super excited to have Cam. He’ll have to win his minutes, because his group is really deep. But he’s a worker, so that’ll give him a chance to play right away,” a Lakers front office executive said. “Cam did a lot off the bounce at Summer League, so that was fun to see. But early on, we’ll keep it easy for him: make your open jumpers and defend.”
The Lakers have Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht all at similar positions to Carr. It’s a position group that both has a lot of players, but none that are really guaranteed to be high-impact pieces, giving Carr a perfect opportunity to showcase himself during training camp and the early part of the season.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick does not appear opposed to playing young players. He gave Knecht real opportunity in his first season with the team, and has been willing to play Bronny James in a playoff series when the matchup dictates it. All of this bodes well for Carr at least having a chance to show why he deserves minutes, even if he doesn’t ultimately get them right away.
The good thing about Carr is that he already knows locking in defensively is what will lead to more minutes for him and is willing to do whatever it takes to help the Lakers win.
Cameron Carr unable to attend Luka Doncic’s minicamp
Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is hosting — and paying for — the entire roster to fly to Slovenia for four days and take part in a team minicamp. According to reports, all but one player will be in attendance, and that player is Carr.
Carr is unable to attend due to a required NBA rookie orientation that conflicts with the dates of Doncic’s minicamp, an unfortunate reality for the young wing as it is mandatory.
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