Rookie Cameron Carr led the Los Angeles Lakers' bench in scoring, helping the team defeat the Sacramento Kings in their preseason opener on the road Monday.
Carr finished with 19 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the 127-103 victory at the Golden 1 Center. He went 7-for-13 from the field, including 3-for-7 from 3-point range, and was a plus-six in 22 minutes of action.
The 24th overall pick recorded 15 points in the second half alone while the Lakers' starters mostly rested and seemed to play with a high level of confidence. He dazzled in the open court after getting out in transition and had his 3-point shot working well.
"I was definitely nervous," Carr said on Monday, via Spectrum SportsNet. "It is real, human. I was definitely nervous, but
it is basketball; I enjoy having fun. I got to go out there and have another opportunity to play basketball, and now at the highest level, so it is fun to compete with my guys."
First preseason bucket for Cameron Carr 😃#Lakers pic.twitter.com/AhWJX6YHNM
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 6, 2026
Carr was highly touted out of Baylor, finishing with the fifth-most points in a season in program history (642). He flourished as a scorer, mixing in shots from all three levels while flashing his athleticism and leaping ability, traits that were on display against the Kings.
In addition to his on-court ability, the 21-year-old also impressed the Lakers with his character, work ethic and demeanor. Lakers coach JJ Redick has gushed about his potential and even revealed the team had him much higher on their draft board than when they got him.
Carr will have the opportunity to compete for rotational minutes, and he likely helped his cause with his performance on Monday. He appears to be off to a strong start in training camp and is looking to build on that showing throughout the rest of the preseason.
"Every chance I get to step on the court, (I'm) just growing in areas," Carr said. "I just get more comfortable with playing in the offense and being efficient."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Lakers rookie Cameron Carr reacts to preseason debut vs. Kings
