EL SEGUNDO — Cameron Carr’s smile hardly wavered during his introductory press conference on Friday afternoon, his first chance to speak to local media after being selected with the 24th pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday – which ended up being the Lakers’ selection after draft-night trades.
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“It’s a blessing,” Carr said, a phrase he repeated frequently on Friday.
Carr said the rich tradition of the Lakers was evident as he walked into the team facility earlier in the day, his first time in the building since the former Baylor guard did not work out for them before the draft (Carr said he did meet with Laker representatives “throughout the process,” but did not specify when).
Carr’s first conversation with Lakers team personnel after being drafted was with head coach JJ Redick, he said Friday, adding that he’s excited to play for him. Being drafted as late as Carr was, falling into the 20s after being widely expected to be selected during or just after the lottery (top 14) didn’t put a damper on draft night, the 6-foot-5 wing said. Carr said he was just thrilled to join the Lakers.
“I’m going to the Lakers,” Carr exclaimed, describing his thoughts when selected. “It was more of an exciting thing. It felt surreal. It didn’t feel real for the first couple minutes when I found out. It was trying to get my head around, ‘Man, I’m about to walk across the stage and be an NBA player.’ I’ve dreamed of this my whole life, especially since I was a kid. So it took a second. Still trying to get my head wrapped around it, but nothing but excitement and happiness. I feel more motivation to work.”
Carr, who averaged 18.9 points per game on 49.4% shooting overall (37.4% from 3-point range) during his redshirt sophomore season with Baylor this last year, described himself and an “explosive and dominant” player.
The 21-year-old recognizes that in order to receive playing time in the NBA, however, he needs to improve his defense.
“I feel like I’ve got to show that I’m the best defender here,” said Carr, who has a 7-1 wingspan. “I feel like now stepping in an organization with people with the same type of mindset and abilities, it only makes my job easier. I’ve just got to cut and dunk the ball for them, and run in transition. But first things first, is establishing a defensive consistency and showing I can be dominant or a plus on the defensive end as someone they would like to guard the best player.”
In a phone interview with the Southern California News Group on Friday, Baylor coach Scott Drew highlighted Carr’s mental fortitude – something he believes is helped by being the son of a former NBA player.
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Carr’s father, Christopher Carr, played six seasons as an NBA guard and was the runner-up to Lakers icon Kobe Bryant in the 1997 All-Star Slam Dunk contest. He watched from the back of the room at the UCLA Health Training Center while his son addressed the press corps. Cameron Carr shared that his dad allowed him to independently fall in love with basketball.
“With Cam, he was someone that a lot of times people go to the NBA, they’ve never sat the bench, they’ve never not started or not played, and he’s gone through that, so that’ll make his NBA adjustment that much easier,” Drew said. “Because obviously we move up levels, there’s different roles, different opportunities with that, he appreciates and understands the blessing of being on the court in any capacity.”
Drew used the example of Carr’s first starts with Baylor last season, when he scored 44 points over a two-game span. That total surpassed the 42 combined points he had scored during his first two seasons at Tennessee.
When asked about his journey to the Lakers – leaving Tennessee midseason after suffering a thumb injury, transferring to Baylor where due to NCAA eligibility rules had to be a scout team member, and breaking out into a potential lottery pick this past season – Carr said he’s learned that he always has to place an “emphasis on opportunity” in his career.
“I feel like anytime you get on the court is your time to show who you are as a player, even if that’s for 30 seconds or 30 minutes, take advantage of it and be dominant,” he said. “Show what you’re capable of. I think I’ll be able to do that early defensively, just showing I’m athletic. Everybody is athletic but I can use my tools to help me.”
Joining a Lakers roster led by Luka Doncic, a team that will soon be officially re-signing Austin Reaves, the organization’s goal remains winning an 18th NBA championship. Drew believes Carr is cut from a winning-mindset cloth.
“Cam is used to being around winning programs, winning cultures, and he’s got winning DNA,” Drew said. “He can score four points and be happy the team won. He can defend and rebound and pass and be happy. He can be on the bench and cheer on his teammates, so he cares about winning. And I know at the end of the day, a great organization like the Lakers, that’s what they care most about. It’s a great fit for him.”
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