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.
As part of our efforts to help you understand how we handle the personal information you share with us, and in preparation for the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we’ve updated our Privacy & Cookies Policy. The updated Privacy & Cookies Policy will take effect on May 22, 2018. By using our services on or after that date, you’ll be agreeing to our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy. We recommend that you read our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy in full.
