Lakers Pre-Draft Workout Video: Penn State Guard Tony Carr

Trevor Lane
4 Min Read


The Los Angeles Lakers are hard at work preparing for the 2018 NBA Draft, leaving no stone unturned while they bring in players for workouts. Among the latest waive of prospects brought in was Tony Carr out of Penn State.

Carr could fit in nicely as a backup point guard behind Lonzo Ball, and he developed a reputation as an excellent shooter, something the Lakers sorely need. Carr explained what he had hoped to show in his workout in Los Angeles, and proving that he’s ready to play now was a goal.

“That I can come right in and make contributions to the team. I can get guys involved, I feel like I’m a good leader, I shot the 3-ball well,” he said.

“I feel like my offensive game will definitely translate to the next level. But at the same time, showing them I can guard, I can be versatile. I can switch onto bigs, I can defend guards. And just showing I’m a competitor.”

The Lakers are known for having difficult workouts that push players hard, and Carr found that to be true. “It’s definitely something they want to know. Like, can you play a whole game at a high level? At the NBA, it’s the top players, so it’s definitely something you want to show.

“And you also want to show that you’re a winner. I always tried to win every drill.”

While the Lakers look to test draft prospects in all facets, Carr didn’t find the pre-draft workout particularly challenging. “It wasn’t really hard,” he said.

“I guess the Lakers Mentality drill, it being the last drill and having to run full court was pretty tough. That was one of the toughest drills. I’ve heard players talk about it, so you kind of mentally prepare yourself.”

For Carr, the NBA is going to be a big transition, but he finished his college days the best way possible, with an NIT championship. “It was great, man. Just playing in the Garden, playing five extra games in the season. My whole family was there. It was fantastic,” he said of the experience.

The Lakers defense improved immensely last season, partially due to their versatile lineups that were able to switch defensive assignments seamlessly. Carr, at 6’4,” believes he will be able to fit into that type of scheme, which could mean he would defend larger players part of the time.

“I feel like I’m tall enough. When I get into the NBA, I’ll get stronger.”

On paper, Carr appears to have a skill set that the Lakers will be interested in, but we will have to wait until the draft to find out if he ends up being the one to wear purple and gold.

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Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com