While the Los Angeles Lakers are off to an impressive 3-0 start to the NBA season, there are still some areas of concern around a roster that needs to muster all the youth and depth it can handle as this season goes on. For that reason, it has been somewhat disappointing that the Lakers have not been able to get rookie Cameron Carr on the floor at all, as he is dealing with an oblique injury.
Carr is something of an X-factor for the Lakers, a player who was considered to have lottery-level talent entering the draft last June, but who fell out of the lottery as teams focused more on big men and point guards than wings in the mid-to-late teens of the first round. That was a stroke of luck for the Lakers, who picked him at No. 24.
But we have not seen Carr since the preseason, after he had averaged 18.0 points during summer league, shooting 42.4% from the field and just 19.2% from the 3-point line. He is a scorer, though, and that’s an aspect the Lakers would like to polish up here in the early going of the season.
Carr should get the ability to finally work his way back to the court, though, as the Lakers made an announcement on what’s next for him: He’s going to Coachella Valley of the G League.
From Khobi Price of the California Post: “The Lakers have assigned Cameron Carr to the Coachella Valley Lakers, per the team.”
Lakers Want to Play Cameron Carr
It’s not clear how long the Lakers plan to keep Carr with the G League bunch, but they do not start action until November 6.
For Lakers coach JJ Redick, the sooner the better. He still has a goal of playing more guys early in the year, and that includes Carr.
Said Redick: “We’re going to play more guys this year. We’re just naturally deeper. We have the luxury of doing that, if we’re healthy with this roster. So there’s going to be an opportunity for him. Those opportunities may be here and there; he may be part of the rotation. I haven’t made any decisions on that so far, but he’s certainly off to a great start.”
Lakers Announce Roster Decision on 1st-Rounder Cameron Carr