The Lakers rookie who turned heads with a 26-point double-overtime performance earlier this week will be watching from the sideline Saturday night. Cameron Carr is out against Dallas with a right thumb contusion, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
That’s a bummer for anyone who bought a ticket hoping to see the Baylor product attack the rim or step into pull-up threes. He’d been doing both. The kid looked comfortable out there, which isn’t nothing for a second-round pick trying to stick in the rotation.
McMenamin posted the news on X (formerly Twitter) around game time. The team called it a contusion, which is basically a bad bruise. No structural damage reported. But the Lakers aren’t taking any chances with a guy they see as part of their future guard depth behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
A Sudden Star in the Desert
Carr’s breakout came on July 6 against Miami. He hit four threes, scored 26 points, and helped the Lakers survive a double-overtime thriller. After the game, he told reporters he hadn’t played a sudden-death situation since middle school, when he hit a fadeaway three to win it. That’s a fun fact that makes you wonder if this dude just has ice water in his veins.
“They stepped up big time, especially defensively. I’m trying to learn as much from them as I can, because they’re big time, they’re big-time on defense, man, on both ends. So, I just got to give them the props,” Carr said via the Los Angeles Times.
What Sitting Out Does and Doesn’t Mean
Some fans online called it load management. And sure, maybe there’s a little of that. Summer League is ultimately about development, not wins. But a thumb contusion is a real thing. If you’ve ever jammed your shooting hand playing pickup, you know that shot isn’t falling clean for a few days.
The Lakers are also likely thinking bigger picture. Let Carr recover now, get him into training camp healthy, and let him build chemistry with Doncic and Reaves when it actually counts. No point grinding through a meaningless July game if it lingers into October.
At halftime Saturday, the Lakers held a 47-44 lead over the Mavericks. Arthur Kaluma had 18 points. Adou Theiro added nine. Carr wasn’t on the floor, but his absence is probably the more interesting story here — because it suggests the team actually has plans for him.
Leave a Comment