The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the standout teams at NBA Summer League, remaining one of just two unbeaten sides in the tournament.
Tuesday’s 99-85 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers improved the Lakers to a perfect 3-0 record in Las Vegas after posting a 2-1 mark at the California Classic in San Francisco.
One of the driving forces behind that success has been first-round pick Cameron Carr, whose two-way play has established him as one of the breakout performers of the summer.
His performances are beginning to draw attention from around the league, with former two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas becoming the latest to praise the rookie.
Lakers Rookie Earns High Praise From Former NBA All-Star
Appearing on NBA TV, Thomas highlighted Carr as one of his standout performers from Summer League.
“My pick is Cam Carr over there with the Lakers,” Thomas said. “He’s a hooper. He can play, he can score, he can make plays, he can shoot the ball at a high level. I think he’s gonna have a real big impact on the Lakers.”
“Just because he could space the floor, he can catch and shoot, and he can put the ball on the ground and make a play for others. And that’s always good when you’re a young guard coming to this league.”
Rather than focusing on the headline-making lottery picks, Thomas singled out Carr as one of the tournament’s biggest revelations.
Although the 21-year-old slipped down the board on draft night, his performances have strengthened the belief that the Lakers may have landed a long-term contributor with their late first-round selection.
Across five Summer League appearances between the California Classic and Las Vegas, Carr is averaging 18.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 block in 25.1 minutes per game.
He is shooting 44.9% from the field and 36.1% from three-point range while attempting 7.4 three-pointers per contest.
Cameron Carr Continues Backing up the Hype
Carr’s latest statement performance came against the Clippers after he returned from a thumb injury that forced him to miss Saturday’s victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The rookie led all scorers with 23 points in 29 minutes, shooting 8-of-18 from the field while knocking down three three-pointers. He also contributed one rebound, two assists, and one block in another encouraging all-around display.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick was in attendance as Carr continued to make a case for meaningful NBA minutes during his rookie campaign.
After the game, the former Baylor standout showed that his confidence extends beyond his play on the court.
“I’m here to play basketball, I’m not here to be a pretty boy,” he said postgame.
“We’re here to win it, we’re not here to play around. We’re here to win it. That’s what we came to do. Job not done.”
Those comments have reflected the approach Carr has taken throughout Summer League.
Rather than chasing individual numbers, the rookie has consistently played within the team concept while producing on both ends of the floor.
That winning mentality, combined with his steadily improving performances, has given the Lakers every reason to be encouraged about his long-term development and should only strengthen the belief that he can carve out a meaningful role within the organization.
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