Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick has been impressed with Cameron Carr early on and believes the rookie will have the chance to compete for minutes in training camp.
Carr was named to the All-Big 12 third team last season at Baylor, averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 37.4% from 3-point range. He finished with 642 points, the fifth-most in a season in program history.
The 24th overall pick flourished as an overall scorer, mixing in shots from all three levels while flashing his athleticism and leaping ability. Because of those attributes, the Lakers were ecstatic to land Carr late in the first round.
"The guy wants to play," Redick said Thursday. "He wants to learn. He wants to compete. Where he was on
our board was not 24. He was much higher. We feel very fortunate that we were able to get Cam. ... We feel very fortunate to get him and be able to develop Cam as an NBA player."
Carr logged seven appearances with the Lakers in summer league, averaging 17.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and one assist while shooting 42.3% from the field. He scored 20 or more points twice, including a 26-point performance on July 5.
With several new players on the roster, Redick said there are plenty of minutes to earn when training camp opens on Tuesday. He can envision a scenario in which Carr cracks the rotation after a productive offseason at the team facility.
The Lakers were drawn to Carr for his on-court ability, but they were also impressed with his character and work ethic. The front office consulted with Baylor coach Scott Drew about Carr and was struck by him as a person off the court.
"I think what we've seen here with Cam is that he is an extraordinary athlete and an incredible shooter," Lakers president Rob Pelinka said. "But he is also a very curious and inquisitive learner in what he is soaking up day-to-day with our player development staff, led by Zach (Guthrie) and Chris Ebersole. You can see him forming before our eyes."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Lakers' JJ Redick raves about rookie Cameron Carr before training camp
