Don't let the final score fool you. The Los Angeles Lakers got absolutely smoked 104-72 by the Golden State Warriors in their California Classic opener at Chase Center, but nobody cares about summer league wins and losses. What actually matters is looking for NBA-level traits, and rookie guard Cameron Carr showed he possesses exactly what this newly rebuilding roster needs.
With LeBron James out of the picture and Los Angeles recalibrating its future, all eyes are on the kids. Carr, the 24th overall pick out of Baylor, didn't hesitate. He played like a guy who belongs, completely unafraid of the moment. While the rest of the Lakers squad looked stuck in mud, Carr provided the singular bright spot of an otherwise ugly night. Don't forget to check out our recent article on this related article.
The Pure Shotmaking the Lakers Desperately Need
Let's look at what the guard actually did on the floor. Carr led the Lakers with 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting from the field. More importantly, he shot 5-of-11 from beyond the arc. In a game where the rest of his teammates shot a combined 21-of-53, Carr looked like the only player capable of spacing the floor.
He didn't just stand in the corner waiting for a pass, either. He knocked down a pair of triple tries right out of the gate in the first quarter, showing a quick release and deep range. His father, former NBA journeyman Chris Carr, spent six seasons in the league, and you can see that professional pedigree in Cameron's footwork. He knows how to find his spots, settle his feet, and rise up over closing defenders. If you want more about the background of this, CBS Sports offers an excellent summary.
Honestly, the context makes his efficiency even more impressive. The Lakers lacked a true, high-level playmaker to run the point on Friday night. The ball stuck, possessions grew stagnant, and the team shot a miserable 38.2% from the floor. Without anyone creating easy looks for him, Carr had to manufacture his own offense against a locked-in Warriors defense led by an on-fire Yaxel Lendeborg. That he still managed to drop 19 points under those conditions says a lot about his self-sufficiency.
Playing With a Massively Big Chip on His Shoulder
Before he even laced up his sneakers for the California Classic, Carr made headlines by calling his shot. He told the media he felt he was the absolute best guard in the 2026 draft class. He wants to prove his doubters wrong, and that confidence translated directly onto the court.
You need a little bit of that arrogance to survive in Los Angeles. The franchise traded up one spot with the New York Knicks to draft him, and it's easy to see why they made the move. He didn't have a straightforward path to the draft. He barely played his freshman year at Tennessee, got hurt his sophomore year, and then transferred to Baylor, where he blew up into a third-team All-Big 12 performer by averaging 18.9 points per game.
He knows what it's like to get overlooked. That background gives him a certain edge. When the Warriors started pulling away in the second quarter, building a 57-33 halftime lead, Carr didn't shut down. He kept hunting his shot and playing aggressive basketball.
What This Performance Means for the Regular Season Rotation
Look, we shouldn't overreact to one July game. The box score shows that Carr didn't offer a ton outside of his scoring, finishing with just two rebounds, one assist, and one block. He needs to tighten up his playmaking and prove he can compete defensively against NBA athletes. At 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, he's still a bit thin and will get tested physically.
But elite volume shooting is the most valuable commodity in modern basketball. If Carr can consistently hit 35% to 40% of his shots from deep on high volume, he will force his way into the Lakers' regular-season rotation.
Your next move as a fan or analyst tracking this team is to watch how Carr handles the physical adjustments over the next few games in Sacramento and Las Vegas. Teams will start run-checking him off the line. If he can counter by attacking closeouts and making the right pass, the Lakers might have just uncovered a foundational piece of their post-LeBron era.
