Nobody asked us to care about what the Los Angeles Lakers are doing this offseason. But as a seasoned scribe here in Dub Nation, I believe in knowing your enemies. Not in a weird, paranoid way, but like in a “the Lakers were the best team in the Pacific Division last season, what are they up to now” kind of fashion.
So consider this your official Lakers draft debrief. You’re welcome!
Then they traded up for Cameron Carr out of Baylor with the 24th pick. A 6’5″ wing with a 7’0.75″ wingspan, a 42.5-inch
vertical, and 37% three-point shooting in his breakout college season. Carr is the athletic, switchable, sky-above-the-rim threat that next to Luka Doncic could be a real scary proposition.
Here’s what should make Dub Nation raise an eyebrow; this is apparently exactly what the Lakers were looking for. But don’t take my word for, just ask our blog buddy Silver Screen and Roll who wrote an article about Carr entitled “The Lakers drafted the exact archetype they need in Cameron Carr”:
They seem to now have a type. Similar to Adou Thiero, the 36th overall selection last year, Carr is a freakish athlete with a standout highlight reel dunk package. He showed that athletic pop off at the combine, posting a max vertical leap of 42.5”, tied for second overall. Carr measured out at 6’4.5 and 184 pounds, with a long 7’0.75” wingspan and an 8’8” standing reach. Offensively, he’s the prototypical modern NBA-level wing teams are looking for, living with baskets at the rim or behind the 3-point line with tantalizing fluidity.
He leverages his physical traits in a multitude of ways. One is as a monster finisher in transition, showcasing as one of the best vertical threat wings in the draft, a tailor-made athletic fit next to the playmaking savant Luka, who’s had success with similar players like the high flyer Derick Jones Jr.
A 6-foot-5 high flyer running the wing in transition or cutting backdoor in the dunker spot? With Luka and Austin Reaves drawing the eyes of the defense, Carr flying around and slamming thunderous dunks could be massive momentum shifts.
The Dubs missed the playoffs last year and are trying to sharpen their identity; meanwhile the Lakers went to the second round last year even with Luka and Reaves down. They beat Houston in the first round before OKC sent them home with a flurry of brooms, and now they’re coming back looking to build on those championship aspirations.
Now let’s be balanced about this, because Dub Nation doesn’t do blind panic. Carr fell to the 24th spot for a reason; I don’t think he’s coming in to win rookie of the year and terrorize the league immediately. The Lakers still have more King-sized roster questions to answer this summer. But the direction is set and they know who they want to be: more athletic, more dynamic, more in your face. Golden State needs to have an answer ready because the Lake Show isn’t waiting for the stumbling dynasty from the Bay to figure it out.
Keep your friends close, Dub Nation. Keep your Pacific Division rivals in your group chat, your timeline, and your scouting report. They’re absolutely coming for this division and Golden State will be right in their way.
