LAS VEGAS — Cameron Carr set the expectations for how he would like to introduce himself to the NBA during his introductory press conference two weeks ago.
The Lakers’ first-round draft pick had already proven himself to have a high offensive ceiling during his leading-act season at Baylor, where he averaged 18.9 points per game on 49.4% shooting from the field. He had an impressive showing at the NBA Combine, sinking six 3-pointers and scoring 30 points in a five-on-five scrimmage. And he churned out a successful week at the California Classic earlier this month in San Francisco, averaging 16.7 points over his first three summer outings ahead of Friday’s Las Vegas Summer League opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But for Carr to make his mark in the league, he has repeatedly stated since being drafted, his defensive traits – using all of his 7-foot-1 wingspan to disrupt opposing teams – need to be his calling card.
The 21-year-old wing recognizes the first steps he needs to take in his defensive development.
“Be consistent,” Carr said Thursday afternoon. “Show that I’m not a lapse on defense. Just every time that they rely on me defensively, just step up and get the job done.”
Carr was consistent again on Friday, scoring 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting to help the Lakers to a 96-84 victory over the Thunder at the Thomas & Mack Center. Carr combined with second-year wing Adou Thiero (game-high 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting to go with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots) to lead a comfortable showing for the Lakers.
“We have a really connected group and they have bought into defense, or committed to the defensive end,” Lakers Summer League coach Ty Abbott said. “We have a lot of guys that really want to pick up, they want to disrupt and try to turn defense into offense.”
Thiero was the leading Laker on Friday when it comes to benefiting from the 20 turnovers the Thunder committed. The 6-8 Thiero was flying around the court throughout the game, slamming home a windmill dunk in the second quarter, one of four dunks for the 2024 second-round pick.
“I feel like I was capable of doing this,” Thiero said. “It’s not different from things I was doing in the G-League last year. I feel like I got real comfortable in the G-League, how to play and everything and just took that break and still trying to get back to healthy and everything and finally getting to go out and play.”
The Lakers led by as many as 20 points, taking control during a stellar third quarter when they outscored the Thunder 33-23 as first-round pick and former Michigan and UCLA center Aday Mara (two points, seven rebounds) struggled to find his footing.
In the first quarter, Carr ran straight at the 7-3 Spaniard in the paint and attempted to dunk over him. Carr drew contact instead and went to the free-throw line.
“We were all talking about it, ‘who can get the first dunk of the game? Who can dunk on him?’” Carr said. “Just having that aggression going to the rim. Go to dunk. If you go to dunk and you don’t dunk it, at least you went hard. That’s all that matters. Trying to get something going to the basket.”
Carr, who in the first quarter deflected the ball out of bounds and blocked two shots within a 30-second period, deflected a question about his defensive effort, emphasizing that he’s still a work in progress on that side of the ball. Abbott said Thursday that Carr has shown a willingness to learn, ask questions and work on his deficiencies, adding that he appreciates that the rookie has understood that there’s a development process, not an overnight turnaround.
“In this setting, you want to give him the opportunity to play confident and kind of play free, but at the same time you put him in situations that he’s going to be in when he’s with the Lakers and he’s coming off of the bench or playing spot minutes,” Abbott said Thursday. “They kind of help him understand that, all right, so this is a time for confidence and building that confidence and trying to get some momentum going into training camp.”
Abbott said Carr’s defensive development will be aided by guarding “really good players,” along with adding weight to his frame to increase physicality on the court. Carr acknowledged he’s on the thinner side when it comes to the team’s summer roster.
With how the Lakers are currently assembled, free agent acquisition Quentin Grimes is the clearest point-of-attack defender who could defend top Western Conference guards like OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards or Denver’s Jamal Murray. But compared to Marcus Smart last season, anyone on the Lakers – including Grimes – will be a steep drop off from the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner.
Carr was primarily used as a help defender at Baylor. He could be asked to do the same with the Lakers – lending himself to more of a background role within their defensive structure.
He has vocalized a desire to do more, improve his defensive ability and be trusted beyond his offensive exploits. The defensive advice Carr said he has been given from the coaches so far has been simple: Speak up.
“Keep doing your thing and just keep talking,” Carr said of what he’s been told. “Don’t lose your voice.”
NOTES
The Lakers’ two-way contract players all had muted efforts against the Thunder. … Guard Chris Manon recorded four points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes as a starter. … Guard Peter Suder had three points, five rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes off the bench, while forward AK Okereke contributed five points and four rebounds in 15 minutes in a bench role. …
Forwards Arthur Kaluma (18 points on 5-for-5 shooting) and Anton Watson (15 points, 3 for 6 from 3-point range) also scored in double figures alongside Thiero and Carr.