One of the keys to the Los Angeles Lakers' success over the next couple of years, not to mention their chances of becoming legitimate championship contenders, is the development of incoming rookie guard Cameron Carr. The Baylor University product, who has impressive athleticism and shooting skills, was the No. 24 pick in last month's NBA draft by the New York Knicks, and the Lakers were able to snag his rights by giving up the rights to their No. 25 pick.
Carr struggled with his 3-point shooting during summer league play, but he still looked like he's ready to earn his way into L.A.'s rotation not too long from now. He seems to have the right type of confidence and attitude, and during an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, he talked about
what lies ahead for him.
"I feel like, I don't know, my pops always told me a quote," Carr said when asked about his combination of confidence and humility. "I struggled with confidence pretty badly at school because I was skinny, I wasn't the biggest or the strongest. And so, he would just see me and tell me, ‘man, if you don't have confidence in yourself, then who else is going to have confidence in you?' And I was like, ‘you're right.' And so he just put it to me that it shouldn't be wavered. My confidence should never change. Like yesterday, I shot a 30-footer that went over to the other side of the backboard and then I turned around, came back and hit a three and it's like that. It's just, you gotta forget about whatever just happened. Negative, positive, just short term memory and just on to the next."
Carr's father, Chris, played in the NBA in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which gives him an advantage over plenty of other rookies. He is still amazed that he's getting to play for a storied franchise such as the Lakers.
"Man, this reality hasn't set in yet, it's probably going to take a little bit. But when it hits me like, man, I play for the LA Lakers. But, I mean, of course, exciting. It's a rich tradition, a team and players that came before me, so all I can do is act for them, right?"
He sounds like he's ready to get to work and contribute right away.
"I'll do whatever it takes to win. I wouldn't necessarily put a stamp on if I'm ready or if I'm not ready. Whatever they need to do to help the team win, I'm willing to do it."
The 21-year-old averaged 18.9 points a game and shot 49.4% from the field and 37.4% from 3-point range last season while at Baylor University. During the NBA summer league in Las Vegas, he put up 18 points a game despite hitting just 42.4% overall and 19.2% from beyond the arc.
Los Angeles has badly needed two-way wings for the last few years, and the 6-foot-5 third-team All-Big 12 selection can help in that regard as long as his 3-point shooting translates to the pros and he develops as an on-the-ball defender.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Cameron Carr seems to have the right attitude about playing for Lakers
