The Lakers are 2-0 in Summer League after a 99-84 win over the Clippers on Tuesday. The guy making the noise wasn’t Bronny James. It was Cameron Carr, a 21-year-old rookie who seems to have something to prove.
Carr dropped a game-high 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting, added two assists and a block in 29 minutes, and then walked off the court like he’d been waiting for this moment. When sideline reporter Kristina Pink asked him about his energy, Carr didn’t give a standard postgame answer.
“Gotta get some new braids,” Carr said, laughing. “I ain’t no pretty boy. I’m here to play basketball!”
The clip has been making the rounds on social media. It’s not every day a Summer League rookie calls himself out like that, especially one who was drafted by the Knicks and then traded to the Lakers in a secondary deal. The Lakers front office might have found something here.
Carr played at Baylor, and the Lakers picked him up as part of a move that got lost in the noise around Luka Doncic and the post-LeBron roster reshuffling. But nights like this remind you that Summer League is where undrafted guys and late-second-round picks earn their reputations.
The Lakers also got 17 points from Chris Manon. Adou Thiero added 13 points, six rebounds and three assists and shot 5-for-6 from the floor. Arthur Kaluma came off the bench for 15 points. The game had six lead changes in the first few minutes, but after the Lakers went up 10-9, they never looked back. By halftime the lead was 16.
The Clippers just couldn’t keep up. They shot 42.6% from the field and an ugly 23.8% from three. Kobe Sanders led them with 18 points, six boards and two assists, but also turned it over four times. Keaton Wagler had 16 points and six rebounds but needed 15 shots to get there. Nick Martinelli did grab a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, which is about the only bright spot they can take from this one.
The Lakers are still figuring out their identity after LeBron James left and the front office went on a signing spree. The new roster is being built around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and Carr is going to have to earn minutes in a crowded backcourt. But if he keeps playing like he did Tuesday, he’ll make the decision hard for the coaching staff.
Summer League continues Thursday for the Lakers against the Bulls. The Clippers get the Wizards on Wednesday.
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