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The Los Angeles Lakers played their first summer league game of 2026 on Friday evening at Chase Center in San Francisco as part of the California Classic. They took on the Golden State Warriors Gold, and it was an opportunity for fans to take a look at their young prospects, particularly incoming rookie guard Cameron Carr and forward Adou Thiero, who is heading into his second pro season.
The Lakers were out of contention for most of this game. They fell behind by double digits about midway through the second quarter and never recovered, as they ended up losing by a final score of 104-72.
But the result doesn't matter a whole lot, as the main point of emphasis is getting young players experience and evaluating them. After one game, there are some things to start taking away about Carr and Thiero.
Carr, the No. 24 pick in June's NBA draft, is a 6-foot-5 guard with a 42.5-inch vertical leap and a wingspan of nearly 7-foot-1. He was a good 3-point shooter in college who could finish strong at the rim and has some shot-creation ability off the dribble.
On Friday, he scored 19 points in 24 minutes and shot 7-of-15 from the field and 5-of-11 from 3-point range. There weren't many opportunities for him to attack the rim, but his outside shot looks excellent already.
In his spare time, Carr had two rebounds, one assist and one block. His overall defense will be another thing to watch moving forward, as it could determine whether he gets merely spot duty this coming NBA season or truly cracks coach JJ Redick's rotation.
Thiero, a very athletic 6-foot-7 forward, is someone Lakers fans have high hopes for, especially because he plays a position the Lakers are thin at. As a rookie, he didn't play much, partly due to injury, but when he did get on the court, he showed an ability to attack the rim, draw fouls and help on the boards.
However, he also showed no real ability to hit perimeter shots, and he was a bull in a china shop when it came to seeking the rim off the dribble. He looked like virtually the same player on Friday.
The 22-year-old scored nine points in 21 minutes, made three of his 10 shot attempts and two of his five free throw attempts and also had four rebounds, two assists and two steals. He attacked the basket off the bounce time and time again, but he had trouble converting his attempts near the cup on those drives.
He only attempted one 3-pointer, which he missed, and his ability to hit outside shots could single-handedly determine whether he will get any meaningful playing time this coming season or even stick around in the NBA.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Two takeaways from the Lakers' first summer league game
Continue reading...
The Lakers were out of contention for most of this game. They fell behind by double digits about midway through the second quarter and never recovered, as they ended up losing by a final score of 104-72.
But the result doesn't matter a whole lot, as the main point of emphasis is getting young players experience and evaluating them. After one game, there are some things to start taking away about Carr and Thiero.
Carr Looks as Good as Advertised
Carr, the No. 24 pick in June's NBA draft, is a 6-foot-5 guard with a 42.5-inch vertical leap and a wingspan of nearly 7-foot-1. He was a good 3-point shooter in college who could finish strong at the rim and has some shot-creation ability off the dribble.
On Friday, he scored 19 points in 24 minutes and shot 7-of-15 from the field and 5-of-11 from 3-point range. There weren't many opportunities for him to attack the rim, but his outside shot looks excellent already.
In his spare time, Carr had two rebounds, one assist and one block. His overall defense will be another thing to watch moving forward, as it could determine whether he gets merely spot duty this coming NBA season or truly cracks coach JJ Redick's rotation.
Thiero Is Still Raw
Thiero, a very athletic 6-foot-7 forward, is someone Lakers fans have high hopes for, especially because he plays a position the Lakers are thin at. As a rookie, he didn't play much, partly due to injury, but when he did get on the court, he showed an ability to attack the rim, draw fouls and help on the boards.
However, he also showed no real ability to hit perimeter shots, and he was a bull in a china shop when it came to seeking the rim off the dribble. He looked like virtually the same player on Friday.
The 22-year-old scored nine points in 21 minutes, made three of his 10 shot attempts and two of his five free throw attempts and also had four rebounds, two assists and two steals. He attacked the basket off the bounce time and time again, but he had trouble converting his attempts near the cup on those drives.
He only attempted one 3-pointer, which he missed, and his ability to hit outside shots could single-handedly determine whether he will get any meaningful playing time this coming season or even stick around in the NBA.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Two takeaways from the Lakers' first summer league game
Continue reading...
